HALLOWELL – Hilda Groder Heselton, 85, of Hallowell, died on Easter Sunday, March 31, 2024, at Bay Square at Yarmouth with loved ones by her side.

Hilda was born in Gardiner, on April 10, 1938, the daughter of Kenneth and Inez (Lyons) Groder. A lifetime resident of Maine, she proudly shared she was one of seven children.

Hilda met her beloved husband, William C. Heselton, one summer while the two were picking beans as youngsters. He was impressed by her spirit, did some investigating, and the two remained a couple for the rest of their lives. Bill graduated first and went off to Bowdoin. Two years later in 1956, Hilda graduated from Gardiner High School and departed for Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. The relationship strengthened and endured, despite the distance. She left her studies to marry Bill in 1957. Soon after, they began their family, welcoming Jane Ellen, John Henry and Sally Ann. As a young couple and a united team forever after, their family was their focus.

As her children got older, Hilda returned to college at the University of Maine in Augusta, completing her studies to become a registered nurse. Many came to know her at the doctor’s office or Augusta General Hospital.

Hilda was always willing to volunteer her services to programs in the community.

Without exception, her prime interest and effort was with those she loved, her extended family and a couple close friends. Her children and grandchildren were a source of pleasure and joy.

Hilda’s active life changed with the diagnosis of dementia more than five years ago. Two years into the progression of the disease, the family entrusted her care to Bay Square of Yarmouth where she was provided with respect, dignity, and devotion. Her family is indebted to the caregivers who provided her with a high quality of life and her family with peace of mind.

Hilda is survived by her husband William C. Heselton, of Hallowell; her three children and their spouses: Jane H. Crowley and Tom; John Henry Heselton and partner Pam; Sally H. Loughlin and Mike; four grandchildren Jameson Crowley, Jonathan Crowley, Henry Loughlin, and Alison Inez Loughlin; three great-grandchildren Nell, Coen, and Maren; a large, extended family, and many friends in the Kennebec Valley community.

Hilda’s approach to life involved her full heart. Deeply devout, she often shared that she had been blessed with good fortune and so many gifts. We were blessed to have had her in our lives.

The family will celebrate Hilda’s life at a private Catholic ceremony at a future date.

Family was most important to Hilda. In her memory please do something kind and loving with a smile or a hug for a family member or dear friend.

Arrangements and guidance are entrusted with Staples Funeral Home and Cremation Care, 53 Brunswick Avenue, Gardiner, Maine. Condolences, memories, and photos may be shared with the family on the obituary page of the Staples Funeral Home website, http://www.staplesfuneralhome.com.

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