Edward Gladden, Sr.

RICHFORD - Edward L. Gladden Sr., age 98, husband of the late Helen (Waterhouse) Gladden, passed away Saturday July 10, 2010 at his home with his daughter and son-in-law at his side.

He was born September 9, 1911 in Berkshire the son of the late Caleb & Matilda (Miller) Gladden.

He attended Berkshire Elementary School, Richford High School, Pine Tree Academy in Lewiston, ME, and Fireside Correspondence Institute. He was very active in the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Abercorn, Quebec which he helped build in his youth and was the last surviving charter member. He served as the Church Elder for several years and over the years held several other offices.

Following the flood of 1927 he worked for Atlas Plywood on the river, cleaning up their wood products that washed away. He also did farm work for neighbors and more extensively worked for Herman Dewing and Noah Fleury doing chores, haying in the summer, logging in the winter, sugaring in the spring and worked on the threshing teams. Outside of farming, he drove the Berkshire Center school bus, worked for Ernest Baileys fruit business in North Wolcott, operated a bread route in the area delivering baked goods from the bakery in Sutton, Quebec, and did carpentry work with his father on many projects in Richford and the surrounding area. Most importantly he farmed and produced maple syrup on his own farm on the Pinnacle Road since 1937.

He married the former Helen Waterhouse in Bordoville, VT on April 17, 1937. They lived in a tent on the Herman Dewing farm during the summer of 1937 until October of that year when they moved to the farm on the Pinnacle Road.

He loved animals and anything to do with nature, being outdoors, gardening, snowmobiling, music, and played the guitar and harmonica. Most of all he loved his church, his family and helping other people and will be remembered for his uncanny memory.

He is survived by his daughter Esther Knutson and her husband Bruce of Richford; his daughter-in-law, Cyndi Gladden of Martinsville, VA; his grandson, Randy Gladden and his wife Tia of Oxford ME; his granddaughter, Debbie Bezerra and her husband Alex of Leominster, MA; his great granddaughters, Erielle (Gladden) Dexter and her husband Steve of Central, MA, and Raluca Bezerra of Leominster, MA; his foster granddaughters, Priscilla (Mills) Scott and her husband Jesse of Barre, MA, and Buffy Joyal of Martinsville, VA; his foster great grandson, Jonathan Ela of Barre, MA; six remaining cousins all in their 90s and one at age 101. Besides his parents Edward was predeceased by his wife, Helen Gladden on January 25, 2002; his son, Edward L. Gladden Jr on February 7, 1992; and 2 brothers, Willard Gladden in 1992 and Gerald Gladden in 2007.

Funeral services will be held Friday, July 16, 2010 at 2:00 PM at the Spears Funeral Home, 140 Main St., Richford. Interment will follow in the Berkshire Center Cemetery.

A time of visitation will be held at the funeral home on Friday from 1:00 PM until the hour of the funeral.

For those who wish, contributions in Edwards memory may be made to the Richford Ambulance Service, P.O. Box 236, Richford, VT, Franklin County Home Health Agency, 3 Home Health Circle, St. Albans, VT 05476 or to the charity of ones choice.