Lizabelle Arvilla (Prescott) Heath, 85, of Pittston, also known as Lily to her friends and Lizzy to her siblings, passed peacefully from this world to the next on Feb. 26.
Lizabelle was born in Whitefield, on March 2, 1924, one of 13 children of Pearl Judson Prescott and Maud Emma (Pullen) Prescott. She was the wife of the late Elwin Francis Heath, of Pittston, who predeceased her in March of 2007.
Lizabelle attended Whitefield schools and graduated from Erskine Academy in China in 1943. She worked briefly at Augusta General Hospital before marrying her childhood sweetheart and joining him in Battle Creek, Mich., where he was stationed serving as a military police officer in the U.S. Army. Lizabelle worked at the Kelloggs factory where they packed K-Rations for troops serving overseas. In 1945 they returned to Maine, bought 40 acres in Pittston and raised their family and lived there happily until Lizabelle became ill and required nursing home care.
Lizabelle stayed home while their children were young but she was always busy. She had a huge vegetable garden every year and put food by for winter. She raised rabbits for several years, as well as the usual cows, pigs and chickens. In the 1960s, she sold Raleigh products door to door and probably went to every house in eight local country towns.
Lizabelle was also very active in the local Methodist Church where she at various times taught Sunday School, maintained church records for many years, and published a church paper called the Chapel Window. In her spare time, she crocheted and knitted, making hundreds of pairs of mittens for the church mitten tree at Christmas time. She also enjoyed jigsaw and word search puzzles.
During Elwin’s working years, the couple made several trips to Florida to visit family, and enjoyed frequent camping trips in the Maine woods. After Elwin retired in 1984, they had the opportunity to make several trips up and down the east coast, as well as traveling to Nashville, St. Louis, Niagra Falls, Nova Scotia and St. James Bay.
She was also predeceased by her parents; daughter, Sandra Jean; brothers, Percy, Edmund, Charles, Elmer, Eugene and Norman Prescott; and sisters, Hazel Fowles, Avis Lewis and Jennie Brann.
Lizabelle is survived by her daughters, Charil Mairs and husband Peter, and Donalene Austin and husband Roger; sons, David Heath and wife Pamela, and Stephen Heath and wife Bonnie; nine grandchildren, Vincent Sidelinger, Jeromy Sidelinger and wife Jennifer Dutton, Joanna (Sidelinger) Black and husband Toby, Jennifer Austin, Michele, Rebecca, Travis and Bradley Heath, and Stephanie (Heath) Blomquist and husband Shawn; and seven great-grandchildren, Crystal (Sidelinger) Bolduc and husband Nick, Johnathan, Zachary, Rianna and Brynn Sidelinger, Sabrina Black, and Nathaniel Blomquist; brother, Pearl Prescott Jr.; sisters, Mable Farrin and Arlene Gray; sisters-in-law, Maxine Heath, Judy Heath, Thelma Reay, and Pat Prescott; and many, many nieces and nephews.
There will be no service at this time. Memorial and committal service will be held in the spring.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Lizabelle’s name may be made to the Maine Alzheimer’s Association, 163 Lancaster St., Suite 160B, Portland, ME 04101, or to the East Pittston Methodist Church, c/o R. Lathe, 594 Nash Rd., Pittston, ME 04345.
Arrangements will be handled by Staples Funeral Service of Gardiner.
