Norman H. Bragg, of Jefferson, passed away peacefully at his home on July 10, 2025 with his adult children at his side. He was born in 1929 to Calvin and Ella Bragg at the family farm in Waldoboro.
Norman attended schools in Waldoboro, at Orff’s Corner and Friendship Street. He graduated from Waldoboro High School in 1947. Norman studied agriculture in high school and was a member of the State Grange of Maine.
In his early years, he worked on the family farm and helped sell vegetables. The family farm transitioned to a salvage yard. Norman enjoyed the process of salvaging usable items from automobiles.
In 1952, Norman married Edith Pierpont. They were married 45 years. Norman was an unassuming and determined person. He turned an old Chevrolet truck into a homemade loader. He brought fill in himself to develop his land. He dug his well by hand after having an excavator start the process. He made his well forms and poured the concrete liner himself.
In 1953, Norman and Edith moved into their new home in Jefferson on Robinson Ridge. His home in Jefferson was two miles from his childhood home. Norman and Edith later built a new camp in Jefferson on Damariscotta Lake. Norman also owned land in Waldoboro, where he allowed the “Welcome to Waldoboro” sign to be placed.
Norman negotiated in good faith, whether as a seller or a buyer. Eva Wing was a neighbor whose home had become structurally unsafe. Eva had no family and limited means, so Norman and Edith bought her land and provided her life tenancy. She was able to buy a mobile home for the lot, and Norman connected the well and septic for her.
Norman enjoyed raising a vegetable garden for decades. Edith canned pickles, green beans, and tomatoes that they would eat throughout the rest of the year. He shared his vegetables with neighbors and inspired his daughter on the self-sufficiency of growing food from seed. Norman was given several ever-bearing raspberry plants in 1975 that he planted on the edge of one of his vegetable gardens. The raspberries took over the garden, and for decades, he would pick and harvest the berries from it along with the blackberries he transplanted from the old business yard to his home.
Norman also enjoyed flowers. He planted daffodils, narcissus, peonies, tulips, gladiolas, Asian lilies, and hydrangeas. He also planted blue spruce, red maple, American chestnut, and a Norway Pine tree.
He and his brothers owned and operated the automotive salvage yard along with a gas station on Route 1 in Waldoboro and an automotive parts store in Augusta. He operated the first exhaust pipe-bending machine in the state of Maine. Many customers were delighted to have him fabricate a custom exhaust when they were not able to buy new replacements. He continued to run the automotive parts store in Augusta with his brothers after the salvage yard closed in 1969. He and his brothers sold the family business in 1984. Norman started his own business as a sole proprietor at 62 years old, Norm’s Pipe Shop. A “tin man” sign was creatively made with exhaust piping, mufflers, and clamps for advertising.
In the 1960s, Norman did route sales for the family business. One of the places Norman called on was the Boothbay Railway Museum. In the 1970s, Norman enjoyed visiting the Boothbay Railway Museum on car show days. Norman volunteered at the Owls Head Transportation Museum in his retirement years to repair and maintain antique auto equipment.
Norman was mechanically inclined and could fix just about anything that broke down on his property. He owned a 1929 Model A, which he named Nellie Bell. He used an old BMW differential and brakes from a Subaru to operate a winch on the back of Nellie Belle. The winch was a unique arrangement used for many years.
Norman enjoyed hunting and fishing. When he was 10 years old, his father took him to Northeast Carry Maine to fish. As an adult he would join friends hunting in the Maine North Woods around Lobster Lake. This was his yearly vacation. He always came back home with so many new stories. He enjoyed feeding the Canadian gobbies out of his hand. Most years he would bring home a deer for the family freezer.
He took his family out on Damariscotta Lake with a large Faber & Co. canvas-covered canoe, operating the motor as he had done in his youth for his father.
One of Norman’s lifetime goals was to restore a 1923 Model T he purchased from Ruby Hoffses. Norman was proud to have a Model T that had only one previous driver. The restoration project took many years. With the help of his friend, George Sproul, Norman was able to complete the restoration in time for the Jefferson Days parade in August 2009. Norman received a blue ribbon for having the most authentic vehicle in that parade.
He enjoyed burning wood to stay warm in the winter. He harvested firewood, noting that wood heats you all year-round. Every year he was actively involved in the process, even running the wood splitter controls at 96 years old. The wood harvesting process became a cherished family tradition.
Norman had several faithful dogs from the time he was 6 years old until he was 92 years old. He missed each one when they were gone.
In addition to his parents, Norman was predeceased by his brothers, Calvin (Roy), Thomas (Tommy), and Roland. He is survived by his sister, Almeda; children, Cynthia and Jeffrey; and grandchildren, Elise and Lily.
There will be a graveside service for family and friends in the fall.
