Obituary of Gladys Marie Vaillancourt

ASHLAND- Gladys Vaillancourt, 85, passed away at her home Thursday, August 10, 2017. She was born on August 5, 1932 in Fort Kent, a daughter of James Pelletier and Genevieve Pelletier. Gladys was a long time resident of Portage and Ashland. Gladys was the oldest of twelve: her siblings, Wanita Paradis of Sherman, Louis Pelletier of Island Falls, Damase Pelletier of Patten, Stanley Pelletier of Windsor, Nina Thyng of Bangor, Rita Pelletier of Jefferson, Catherine Smith of Gardiner, Judith Seaman of Litchfield, Denise Lane of Sherman, predeceased infant brother Albert Pelletier and sister Ann M Neader. Gladys loved her knitting and crocheting. Over the years, she knit thousands of mittens and stockings for the family, church, and many hunters. We were all amazed as she was able to watch television or carry a conversation with us as she knit without looking at her needles. She also had presented us with many crocheted baby sets. In her last days, she was worried there would be no one to take over her love of knitting and crocheting. She also loved to sew, making us all quilts As young children we recall her making us dresses without patterns. She would take newspaper, put it in back and front of us to mark the sizes she needed and make a pattern from newspaper. She was predeceased by her loving husband William Vaillancourt in 1992. She is survived by 10 of her children: Sandra (Sandy) Bernier, husband Lucien of Augusta and their four daughters, Pamela Downs, Peggy and Penny Bernier, Patricia Vachon, Barbara Dillon and husband Gregory of Benton Harbor, Michigan and their two sons Kenneth and Joshua, Freda Eastman of Bangor and her two children Kerry Hebert and Christina Peterson, Brenda Rafford and husband Wendell Jr. of Masardis and their two children Nicole Edgelhardt and Brock, Glenda Bernier and husband Michael of Bowdoinham and their children Shawn and Jessica, William Vaillancourt Jr. with Patricia of Ashland and their two daughters Rachel and Chelsea, Marcia (Marcy) Jeffers and husband Steve of Lowell, Ohio and son Isaac, John Vaillancourt of Machais and two daughters Shawna Hart and Jessica Vaillancourt, Kay O’Clair and her fiancé Guy Clark of Ashland and son Brandon O’Clair, Darryl Vaillancourt of Bangor and a predeceased daughter, Pamela Vaillancourt; 17 grandchildren, 19 great-grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews. Calling service at St. Marks Church, Ashland, Saturday August 19, 9:00 AM until time of service. A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at St. Marks Catholic Church, 11:00 AM. Hospitality will follow the Funeral service at St. Marks Hall. Committal services will be at St. Mary’s Cemetery in Eagle Lake alongside of her beloved Bill and Pamela.