Lena Morse

ELIOT, Maine — Lena Florence (Rollins) Morse, 79, passed away peacefully on Monday, June 20, 2011, at Frisbie Memorial Hospital in Rochester, N.H.

Born Jan. 14, 1932, in Eliot, Maine, to Gladys and Edward Rollins, she lived in Eliot for most of her life before moving to Colonial Hill of Rochester in April 2010. She married her sweetheart, Donald Morse, 61 years ago on Dec. 3, 1949, when they began their love for each other. Everyone who met them was warmed by how much in love they still were.

She spent her life loving and caring for her family, especially her son, Donny, who had Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. She worked for several years driving the school bus for SAD 35 and could be found many Saturdays behind the wheel of a rubbish truck for her husband's business.

The things that brought joy to her life were spending time with her family, taking Sunday drives throughout Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont, snowmobiling, boating and water skiing on area lakes, playing card games such as Canasta and 5 Handed Rummy, traveling and camping in her motor home, especially at Spencer Bay on Moosehead Lake. Her hobbies include crocheting, hooking and braiding rugs, jigsaw puzzles and making her family's favorite apple pies. One of her more recent pastimes was watching the Boston Red Sox with her caregivers at Colonial Hill.

She was a loving, caring and compassionate woman who loved her family deeply and always had a bright smile on her face. Through her many illnesses, she never complained and when asked how she was feeling would always answer with her usual smile "pretty good." She developed a special relationship with many of her caregivers and her family could not be more grateful for the wonderful care they provided.

When she arrived in Heaven, she was met with open arms by her beloved son, Donald A. Morse, Jr.; her mother and father; her brothers, Anthony, Edward, Harold, Herbert, Norman and Everett, and her sisters, Elizabeth, Ethel and Evelyn.

She is loved passionately by her husband, Donald A Morse, Sr., her three daughters Judith Croteau and her husband, Martin, of Rochester, N.H., Susan VanGorder and her husband, Raymond, of Farmington, N.H., and Sheila Hatfield and her husband, Gary, of Strafford, N.H.; eight grandchildren, Shawn Croteau, his wife, Rebecca, and sons, Logan and Tanner of Barrington, N.H., Matthew Croteau, his wife, Jessica, daughters, Charlotte and Madalyn and son, Matthew, of Belleveau, Neb., Christopher Croteau and Tonya Surette of Rochester, N.H., Andrew Croteau, his wife, Anna, and son, Caleb, of New Durham, N.H., Christina Genaw, her husband, Kevin, and daughter, Anna, of Lebanon, Maine, Raymond Van Gorder Jr., Juliana Giambrone and son, Abel, of Eliot, Maine, and Douglas and Gregory Hatfield of Strafford, N.H.; her brother, William Rollins and his wife, Virginia, of Eliot, Maine and her sister, Madeline Huntress also of Eliot.

A memorial service will be held on Monday, June 27, at 11 a.m. at the Eliot United Methodist Church at 238 Harold Dow Highway, Eliot. Friends are invited to visit with Lena's family at J.S. Pelkey Funeral Home at 125 Old Post Road, Kittery, Maine on Sunday from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Online condolences may be made by visiting www.jspelkeyfuneralhome.com.

Donations in Lena's name may be made to the Muscular Dystrophy Association, 3300 East Sunrise Drive, Tuscon, AZ 85718 or.

Visit www.fosters.com/obits for an online guest book.