SHAWMUT – Emerline Pearl (Gurney) Bartley, 95, passed away peacefully on Monday, Feb. 28, 2022 after a short illness. Born on August 7, 1926, to Otis A. and Gelie M. Gurney, she grew up and remained a lifelong resident of Shawmut. She attended Fairfield schools, graduating from Lawrence High School in 1945.

She became employed at the Keyes Fiber Company’s Shawmut Pulp Mill in 1946 where she met and avoided the persistent advances of Eldon Bartley for quite a while until her twin sister Earline stepped in and told her that he was not going to keep asking her out forever. Earline demanded that she say ‘yes’ the next time he asked her out, and then she told Eldon to go tell Emmie what time he was picking her up, and that was that. Emerline and Eldon were married on April 24, 1948. They celebrated 66 wonderful years together before Eldon’s passing in June of 2014.

Emmie worked for Keyes Fiber from 1946 until her retirement in 1988. She was a long-time member of the Shawmut Chapel, a 50-year member of the Goodwill Rebekah Lodge and long-time volunteer with her sister Earline and their husbands at the Fairfield Food Pantry and at Good Will-Hinckley’s Festival of Trees.

Together, she and Eldon enjoyed snowmobiling, motorcycling, bowling, and any time spent at their camp in Mud Cove on Moosehead Lake in Greenville. Although she would go out fishing on the lake, her favorite fishing spot was Prong Pond where she spent hours with her great friends Florence and Bobby Decker. Emmie did not care what kind of fish she caught, she just liked catching fish. She also enjoyed time in the sky flying with Eldon in his Piper Cub Plane.

She was a favorite Aunt to many of her nieces and nephews, and they hold cherished memories of time spent with her skating on the Kennebec River or walking down the train tracks to Black Stream where many hours were spent on the ice. The Skowhegan State Fair was a favorite yearly outing, as well as any quick trips for an ice cream. Holiday gatherings were always extra special because Aunt Emerline spent all her time playing games with the kids.

You couldn’t go visit Aunt Emerline and not walk away with at least a $5 bill tucked in your pocket, rather you knew it was put there or you surprisingly found it later. Her home was a safe and loving space, and visits were filled with a lot of laughter, a good card game, and the insistence that you have something sweet to eat.

Emerline was predeceased by her husband, Eldon Bartley; her parents Otis and Gelie (Peavey) Gurney; her brother Omar Gurney, sisters Ruby Harding and Christine Beaulieu, and many brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law on both sides. She is survived by her twin sister, Earline McGoff; and many nieces and nephews.

At her request there will be no visitation hours or funeral service. Arrangements under the care and direction of Dan & Scott’s Cremation & Funeral Service, Skowhegan.

Copy the Story Link