Evelyn Coates Damrell, 100, passed away June 13 still living at her beloved home on Pratts Island with her companion dachshund “Peanut.” She was born June 23, 1909.
Evelyn grew up in Medford, Mass., the daughter of Fred and Amanda (Rawding) Coates.
She graduated from Medford High School in 1927 and then, later married her high school “sweetheart” Frank K. Damrell. They weathered the Great Depression as others did.
After graduating from Vesper George Art School, she worked designing greeting cards.
With her own earned money she purchased a 1928 Dodge. She related many stories driving with her mother Amanda to Nova Scotia by way of the “Airline Road” that took many days to complete. She would visit her relatives of the seafaring Rawding family of Bear River, N.S.
Frank and Evelyn eventually settled in Arlington, Mass. In 1953 they purchased one of the “summer camps” originally built by Ezra Pratt on the South end of Pratts Island. They enlisted the formidable talents of Maurice Sherman, Bill Luther and Rosco Rand, all of Southport to winterize the “camp.” They found it quite relaxing to make the drive from Massachusetts to Maine in their 1949 Cadillac convertible to “weekend-over,” even during the winter months.
Evelyn and son Bob were on Pratts Island during Hurricane Carol’s visit in 1954.
Evelyn would often reminisce over trips to Bermuda, a 1952 trip to Brazil and Argentina to visit her brother Fred and a 1958 trip to Europe by way of the RMS Queen Mary.
Frank and Evelyn’s fondness for Pratts Island led them to retirement there. Evelyn kept busy doing watercolors and decoupage.
Her other loves were dachshunds! From the late 1940s there was always a pair of them to be loved.
Evelyn was a member of the congregation of the Southport Methodist Church and found much friendship, warmth and inspiration from her fellow churchgoers there. One of her favorite events was the annual summer sale.
In 1987 and 1989 she enthusiastically celebrated the births of her two granddaughters Freya and Catharina.
Her love of flashy automobiles was evident as she sported about in her pink 1957 Thunderbird, which, by the way, now resides at the Boothbay Railroad Museum.
Evelyn leaves behind her son Robert and daughter-in-law Marijke; granddaughters, Freya and Catharina; nephew, John and wife Gretchen; nieces, Linda, Diane and Susan; and many great-nephews and nieces.
Memorial service will be held at the beginning of August; the exact date will be announced at a later date.
Arrangements are entrusted to the Simmons, Harrington & Hall Funeral Home, Wiscasset Rd., Boothbay.
