Joseph E. Sherburne Sr.

DEXTER - Joseph E. Sherburne Sr., 60, died Jan. 11, 2008, at his home. He was born Aug. 14, 1947, in Dexter, son of Weston and Marguerite (Robertson) Sherburne. Joe was a lifelong farmer, working alongside his father during high school and joining his dad full-time after graduation. The farm grew into a partnership through the years, when his brother, Fred, returned from college and it was incorporated as Weston R. Sherburne & Sons, in the 1980s. After the death of their father, Joe and his brother continued to raise cows and be good stewards of the land. Joe felt a deep connection to his father and his family, as he worked the fields that had been in their family for three generations. Joe was a very focused and single-minded person. He had definite opinions and was never hesitant about sharing them. He "liked the old" and was often reluctant to embrace change, until he became convinced that the change had been his idea all along. Recently he was excited about the farm's transition. It was certified organic in 2005. He had said that he'd never have imagined himself as an organic farmer, but he had become enthusiastic about work-ing with nature and learning from the animals and the land he loved. He was constantly and pleasantly surprised that nature had so much to teach those who paid attention. He was active in promoting organic farming across the state of Maine. He created and branded his own compost, which he called "Compost Almost." He enjoyed hearing about how it made gardens come to life and was pleased to have repeat customers come back year after year. He also enjoyed visiting with customers who came on a regular basis to buy hay and feed. He was active in 4-H, Jaycees and the Farm Bureau. He was a president of DHIA and a member of MOFGA. He was an avid snowmobiler and was an active member and president of Ripley Trail Riders, and member and director of Wassookeag Snowmobile Club. He is survived by his wife of 26 years, Amanda (Lovejoy) Sherburne of Dexter; three children, Joseph Sherburne Jr., Shawn Sherburne of Dexter and Angie (Sherburne) Dacey of New Hampshire; grandchildren, Brittany Sherburne, Devean Sherburne, Geneva Sherburne, James Sherburne, Nicholas Dacey, and a sixth grandchild will arrive in June; his mother, Marguerite Sherburne of Dexter; his brother, Fred Sherburne and his wife, Carol, of Dexter; three sisters and their husbands, Beverly and Ron Watson of Cambridge, Frances and John Carroll of Westford, Mass., and Bonnie and Paul Haywood of Blairsville, Ga.; sisters-in-law, Linda Lovejoy of Dexter, Margaret Stewart and her husband, Rick, of Skowhegan and Mary Ann Bubar and her husband, Eddie, of Orneville; many nieces and nephews. Joe was predeceased by his father, Weston Sherburne. Friends may call 6-8 p.m. Monday, Jan. 14, at Crosby & Neal, 61 Main St., Dexter. Funeral services will be held 1 p.m. Tuesday at First Baptist Church, Dexter, with Pastor Jay Brennan officiating. Spring burial will be at Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Dexter. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Ripley Trail Riders, care of Bob Sambito, 660 Shore Road, Ripley, ME 04930. For an online guest book, go to www.CrosbyNeal.com.