SOLON – Gladys Emma Rogers, 96, of Solon, passed away

peacefully in the early hours of December 10, 2022, at Cedar Ridge Center for Healthcare in Skowhegan.

Gladys was born on December 23, 1925, in Dead River Plantation, to parents Benjamin and Methyl Safford. She had fond memories of the one-room schoolhouse she attended, picking strawberries with her sisters in the spring, and sliding down a hill on her mother’s brand-new metal dishpan in the winter. She helped churn butter, make ice cream, and reminisced fondly of the homemade cheese her grandmother made.

Gladys married William Lee Rogers on March 1, 1941, in Rangeley. Gifted a piece of property from her father, they lived in a log cabin built by hand at the base of Bigelow Mountain. Here they raised two of their three children, until Central Maine Power bought out the property in 1949. At this time, they, along with all the other residents of Dead River and Flagstaff Plantations, were forced to leave their homes. The land was flooded, but Gladys and Lee’s cabin still stands to this day. It is the only building that was not moved or immersed below the surface of what is now Flagstaff Lake.

Gladys and Lee purchased a farmhouse and 250-acre parcel of land in Solon in 1950. Along with taking care of the farm and raising her family, Gladys worked at Baxter’s Store in Solon as a meat cutter and cashier. She was very sociable and made many friends in town. Her passion, however, was caring for children. She retired from the store to help take care of her grandchildren, great-nieces and nephews, and many other children from town for as long as she was physically able. Gladys was a long-standing member of the Eastern Star, the Dead River Historical Society, and the Solon Congregational Church, as well as a deacon there. Her faith was very important to her. She loved to attend services and sang all the hymns by heart. She enjoyed nature immensely and loved to feed and watch the birds. She taught her grandchildren the different calls that each songbird made and took daily walks well into her late eighties. She was always knitting and crocheting, and all her grandchildren wore her mittens and hats in

the wintertime. An avid baker, Gladys’s yeast rolls were a famous staple at every Eastern Star and church luncheon or supper. In her down time, she was often found with a novel in her hand, watching figure skating on tv, or listening to classic country music. No one could best her at a game of cribbage. She volunteered her time at the local thrift store and would do anything she could to help people in need. Gladys lived for her family and was very proud of each and every one of them.

Gladys was predeceased by her husband, Lee, a son, Bill Rogers, and two sisters, Glennis Rogers of Solon and Betty Wyman of Stratton.

She is survived by her children, Lois Turcotte of Cornville, Arthur Rogers of Solon, 11 grandchildren, 15 great grandchildren, 10 great-great grandchildren, and her remaining sister, Elsie Laughlin, of Raymond.

There will be a graveside service at Evergreen Cemetery in Solon this coming spring.

Our family would like to extend our deepest thanks to the staff at Cedar Ridge for the wonderful care they provided for Gladys. We are forever grateful for those who sang with her, painted her nails, and made her smile.

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.

Any donations in Gladys’s name can be made to the Solon Congregational Church.

Or, to honor her

memory, say a kind word to a stranger, reach out to a neighbor in need, and spread kindness as generously as she did.

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