Mary Soule

MONTGOMERY CENTER - Mary Colleen (Elkins) Soule, age 88, passed away Monday evening August 25, 2014 at Our Lady of the Meadows in Richford with her daughters at her side.

Mary was born at home in Montgomery Ctr. on November 29, 1925. She was the 5th of 7 children born to Harry & Mary (Demar) Elkins.

Mom always knew she wanted to be a school teacher. She was proud of her alma mater, Johnson Normal School and she also attended Montgomery Elementary & Junior High and Enosburg Falls High School. She fell in love with Arthur Soule at a dance at the Opera House. Her mother asked her to wait to marry until she had worked as a teacher for a year. So, on June 7, 1947, the day after the school year ended, they married at St. Isidores. They were married for 64 years when Dad died in 2011. Mom was a very devoted member of her church. She taught many First Communion classes and was a member of St. Theresas and St. Annes society.

She was known for her attention to detail, beautiful penmanship and lovely singing voice. Mom taught remedial reading for grades 1-4 at the Montgomery Village school and 1st grade at Montgomery Elementary. She was also involved with the Montgomery Free Library and Montgomery Center Home Dem. Mom lavishly welcomed visitors into her home and had a generous heart.

She is survived by two devoted daughters and their husbands, Susan Carol and Lee Tillotson of Bakersfield and Nancy Ann and Bill Riggie of Pensacola, FL; her grandchildren, Leif Tillotson and his son, Andrew of Montgomery Ctr., Courtney and Sara Tillotson and their children Jarrett & Avery of Richford, Jeremy Tillotson and his daughter, Ruby of Berkshire and Lauren and Ren Chase and her children, Isabelle & Jack Hammond of Richmond; two sisters, Eleanor Delaire of Burlington and Evelyn and Arnold Barron of Valley Springs, CA and several nieces & nephews. Besides her parents, Mary was predeceased by her granddaughters, Andrea & Jessica Riggie; brothers, Clayton, William & Charles Elkins and a sister, Marion Lumbra.

She also leaves behind the staff and residents at Our Lady of the Meadows in Richford, who have become family, and we want to thank them for the loving and respectful care given to Mom over the past several years.

A Mass of Christian burial will be held Friday, August 29, 2014 at 4:00 PM at St. Isidores Catholic Church, 169 Mountain Rd., Montgomery Ctr. with Fr. Karl Hahr officiating. Interment will follow in St. Isidores Cemetery.

A time of visitation will be held at St. Isidores parish hall from 3:00 PM until the hour of the service.

For those who wish, contributions in Marys memory may be made to Friends of the Montgomery Town Library, P.O. Box 97, Montgomery Ctr., VT 05471 or St. Isidores Catholic Church, c/o All Saints Rectory, 152 Main St., Richford, VT 05476.