Althea Mae Guilmette was facinated by family history and had a gift for remembering names and connecting with extended family members. Her father's family was of French Canadian extraction with "Daughters of the King" lineage. Her mother's family was from the Quabbin area and had been displaced by the construction of the reservoir that now fills the center of the state of Massachusetts. She connected memorabilla with the people and experiences of her life. She had a strong belief in life after death and the principle that the associations of mortality could be renewed. She had many interests and was concerned about her family. She was often self-sacrificing, but she also had a very independent spirit. She attended Westbrook Junior College in Maine. She enjoyed photography and art and was employed by Hames Studio, where she colored black and white photos before color photography became available. She travelled to Califorinia with a friend where she met her future husband. She became a helpmate to her husband as he attended college and they created a family together. A daughter and two sons were added to the family before their tenth anniversary. The family settled in West Springfield, Massachusetts, for several years, until they moved to upstate New York. A few years later they returned to Holyoke, Massachusetts, and then moved to Easthampton, Massachusetts. After her husband retired, and the children had dispersed, Althea recognized that her mother needed help and returned to Athol, Massachusetts, while her husband chose to retire to Florida. Eventually, the three of them took up a snowbird lifestyle between Massachusetts and Florida where her husband had a new home built. After the deaths of her husband and her mother, Althea added Alabama to her snowbird travels. Eventually, she sold the Florida property and moved to Alabama. When she sold the Alabama property she returned to her childhood home in Athol, but she was aging and could not maintain the property. She sold the house to pay creditors rather than declare bankruptcy. Although she visited her daughter in Idaho for the winter following the sale she did not wish to give up her Massachusetts residence. When Redbrook Apartments called to say that an apartment had become available for her, she paid the rent required and returned to Orange, Massachusetts. However, eventually, she returned to live in Alabama with her son's family until chronic illness forced a change. She dispersed her earthly possessions and her daughter brought her back to Idaho, where she died within the week that she arrived. Her final desire to be buried next to her husband was fulfilled. She was survived by her daughter, two sons, six grandchildren, and her brother.
Althea M. Gibbons, 87, formerly of Athol, Mass., died on Jan. 8, 2011, at Walter Knox Memorial Hospital, Emmett, Idaho. Memorial services were held Jan. 13, 2011, at the Potter Funeral Chapel in Emmett. Funeral services were held Jan. 18, 2011, in Athol followed by burial in the Silver Lake Cemetery in Athol.
Published in Emmett Messenger Index from January 14 to February 14, 2011 (revised)
Althea M. Gibbons, 87, formerly of Athol, Mass., died on Jan. 8, 2011, at Walter Knox Memorial Hospital, Emmett, Idaho. Memorial services were held Jan. 13, 2011, at the Potter Funeral Chapel in Emmett. Funeral services were held Jan. 18, 2011, in Athol followed by burial in the Silver Lake Cemetery in Athol.
Published in Emmett Messenger Index from January 14 to February 14, 2011 (revised)
Althea Mae Guilmette was facinated by family history and had a gift for remembering names and connecting with extended family members. Her father's family was of French Canadian extraction with "Daughters of the King" lineage. Her mother's family was from the Quabbin area and had been displaced by the construction of the reservoir that now fills the center of the state of Massachusetts. She connected memorabilla with the people and experiences of her life. She had a strong belief in life after death and the principle that the associations of mortality could be renewed. She had many interests and was concerned about her family. She was often self-sacrificing, but she also had a very independent spirit. She attended Westbrook Junior College in Maine. She enjoyed photography and art and was employed by Hames Studio, where she colored black and white photos before color photography became available. She travelled to Califorinia with a friend where she met her future husband. She became a helpmate to her husband as he attended college and they created a family together. A daughter and two sons were added to the family before their tenth anniversary. The family settled in West Springfield, Massachusetts, for several years, until they moved to upstate New York. A few years later they returned to Holyoke, Massachusetts, and then moved to Easthampton, Massachusetts. After her husband retired, and the children had dispersed, Althea recognized that her mother needed help and returned to Athol, Massachusetts, while her husband chose to retire to Florida. Eventually, the three of them took up a snowbird lifestyle between Massachusetts and Florida where her husband had a new home built. After the deaths of her husband and her mother, Althea added Alabama to her snowbird travels. Eventually, she sold the Florida property and moved to Alabama. When she sold the Alabama property she returned to her childhood home in Athol, but she was aging and could not maintain the property. She sold the house to pay creditors rather than declare bankruptcy. Although she visited her daughter in Idaho for the winter following the sale she did not wish to give up her Massachusetts residence. When Redbrook Apartments called to say that an apartment had become available for her, she paid the rent required and returned to Orange, Massachusetts. However, eventually, she returned to live in Alabama with her son's family until chronic illness forced a change. She dispersed her earthly possessions and her daughter brought her back to Idaho, where she died within the week that she arrived. Her final desire to be buried next to her husband was fulfilled. She was survived by her daughter, two sons, six grandchildren, and her brother.
Althea M. Gibbons, 87, formerly of Athol, Mass., died on Jan. 8, 2011, at Walter Knox Memorial Hospital, Emmett, Idaho. Memorial services were held Jan. 13, 2011, at the Potter Funeral Chapel in Emmett. Funeral services were held Jan. 18, 2011, in Athol followed by burial in the Silver Lake Cemetery in Athol.
Published in Emmett Messenger Index from January 14 to February 14, 2011 (revised)
Althea M. Gibbons, 87, formerly of Athol, Mass., died on Jan. 8, 2011, at Walter Knox Memorial Hospital, Emmett, Idaho. Memorial services were held Jan. 13, 2011, at the Potter Funeral Chapel in Emmett. Funeral services were held Jan. 18, 2011, in Athol followed by burial in the Silver Lake Cemetery in Athol.
Published in Emmett Messenger Index from January 14 to February 14, 2011 (revised)
