Madeline D. Morris

BINGHAM – Madeline D. Morris, 90, passed away peacefully on May 2, 2021 at the Redington Memorial Home in Skowhegan. She was the wife of the late Myron “Mike” Morris.

Madeline was born on April 1, 1931 in Stockholm, daughter of Albert Joseph Dionne and Odette Cyr Dionne. Her family moved to Bingham when she was 4 when her father took a job at the Allen Quimby Veneer Company. She began Kindergarten speaking only French and was fluent in English by Christmas.

Her mother died of tuberculosis when Madeline was only 12 years old. She and her siblings were placed with relatives in Bingham when her father took a job at a shipyard in Portland. During her teenage years she served as a live-in nanny for the Allen Quimby family. Directly after her graduation from Bingham High School in 1949, she attended Husson Business School for a very brief period, then met the love of her life, left school and married. Four children followed over the next five years, during which time they built a house in Concord.

During her life, she worked at several short-term jobs around the Bingham area, including E.W. Moore and Sons Drug Store, Quimby Veneer Company, and Western Auto. Mike and Madeline owned Mike’s Market on Main Street for a few years, after which Mike started Holmor Transport Company and they moved to a 100-acre farm south of town.

Madeline served as a substitute teacher for 40 years in Bingham schools. She served over 400 hours of volunteer work at the Redington-Fairview General Hospital in Skowhegan. She loved to play piano and took lessons many years with Marian Knight. She played piano for the residents of the Bingham Nursing Home from time to time. She attended all her kids sports and chaperoned school trips. She served three years as the Bingham Senior Citizens’ Program Leader, was a member of the Congregational Church choir and Church Circle, served 30 years on the Bingham Health Center Board of Directors and raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to build the center as well as the dental center in later years.

Madeline loved to travel with Mike. They spent time in Florida, Myrtle Beach, S.C., Arizona, Australia, Mexico, California, Virgin Islands, Canada, Pennsylvania, New York, Georgia, New Orleans, Las Vegas, Grand Canyon, YellowStone National Park, Idaho, and British Columbia.

She was an avid crafter and continually had projects in progress in knitting, sewing, basketweaving, quilting, jewelry making, lamp shades, counted cross-stitch, and chair caning. Madeline was an excellent cook and baker. She was known for her homemade donuts, chocolate cake and yeast rolls. She kept lists of the hundreds of books she read in her lifetime, and pictures of the dozens of quilts she made for her family. She never sat still.

Madeline was predeceased by her parents; husband Mike of 69 years; and dear sister, Pauline.

She is survived by her four children Julie Mayhew and husband Alden of Moscow; Cathryn Thompson and husband Robert of Madison; R. Jeffrey Morris and wife Paula of Pottstown, Pa., and Janet Morris of Farmington; her brothers, James Dionne and wife Faylene of Madison; and Norman Dionne of Bingham; her eight cherished grandchildren; seven beloved great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.

The family extends a heartfelt thanks to the staff at the Redington Memorial Home in Skowhegan for the unspeakably compassionate care they gave our mother. Also to the MaineGeneral Hospice organization, especially Nurse Sandra and faithful companion/Aide, Casey for not only their skill but their undying dedication to both her physical and emotional well-being.

Arrangements are in the care of Giberson’s Funeral Home of Madison. A graveside service will be held at the Bingham Cemetery on Thursday, June 24 at 10 a.m. Please bring your own lawn chair.

Arrangements are under the care and direction of Giberson Funeral Home and Cremation Services. To leave a condolence for the family and to view the online obituary, please visit http://www.gibersonfuneralhome.com.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to

MaineGeneral Hospice and Volunteers of

Kennebec Valley,

P.O. Box 828,

Waterville, ME 04903-0828,

or the

Bingham Area Health Center,

237 Main St.,

Bingham, ME 04920.

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