May 17, 2005

Ethel Baker (Williamson) Anderson died in Houlton ME on Tuesday morning, May 17, 2005. She happily celebrated her 95th birthday on May 4. She was born in Wilton in 1910 and lived most of her adult life in Smyrna Mills (“17 miles west o’ Houlton”). She and her husband Owen had one son, Joseph (“Joe-Joe”). Her son and daughter-in-law, 2 grandsons and 3 great-grandchildren survive her. Ethel was a Camp Mechuwana cabin counselor and general volunteer staff member (mostly for Music-Theatre camps – ALL 3 OF THEM) from 1970 through the 1990s. She was also a delegate from the Smyrna Mills UMC to the Maine Annual Conference for many years. A world traveler, Ethel spent parts of many summers over the past 30 years at Empire Grove in East Poland and at Camp Mechuwana. Ethel was a musician who loved to sing, play piano and dance. She volunteered thousands of hours at nursing homes in her own area and in Auburn when she would visit there. Ethel loved animals, children and entertaining anyone who would give her a listen. She was a member of the Class of 1928 from Wilton Academy and the Class of 1938 from Farmington State Normal School (University of Maine at Farmington). She never had a driver’s license, and she loved ride on buses, trains, planes and motorcycles (which she did a lot in her 70s and 80s with her frequent travel companion, Mitch Thomas. Gifts in Ethel’s memory can be made to CAMP MECHUWANA, PO Box 277, Winthrop ME 04364. Her funeral was held on Sunday, May 22, 2005 in Houlton. Celebrations of Ethel’s life will take place at the Mechuwana Jr.-Sr. High Music Theatre Camp productions on July 15 and 16 in Asbury Chapel. Her son and daughter-in-law are Joseph and Judy Anderson, 2486 US Rte. 2, Smyrna Mills ME 04780. (email: Judy1921@ainop.com)