Ralph Farnham Sr.

OAKLAND -- Ralph Farnham Sr. joined his wife, Mae, in Heaven on Feb. 24, 2007. Ralph was born November 23, 1919, in Oakland. He was the son of Clair and Helen (Albert) Farnham. He resided and worked in Oakland his entire life with the exception of serving with the U.S. Army for two years in the European theater during WWII with the 4th Armored Division and 83rd Division, 329th Infantry Regiment Company E. He was in the second wave of the Battle of the Bulge, driving tanks through France, Luxembourg and Belgium, and after the war he guarded prisoners of war until his enlistment was up and he returned home to his wife and three children.

Ralph retired in 1985 when the "Diamond Match" closed where he had worked as a machinist since 1967. Previous to that he had worked for 30 years at the North Wayne Tool Company, which was one of the last of many ax and scythe factories that had been in Oakland.

Ralph belonged to the Oakland Fire Department for about 47 years. Many of these years spent as the assistant chief. He was on call at all times with many a family dinner or celebration interrupted with a call. Ralph officially retired in June 2000, but until the day he passed away he held an avid interest in the Fire Department. The belief is that if firefighting could have been a full-time job for him in Oakland, that is what he would have done. He was proud of the fact that two of his sons and two of his grandsons followed in his footsteps and became volunteer firefighters.

Ralph was an avid Red Sox fan but enjoyed watching all sports. He was very happy to see the curse broken and the Red Sox win the World Series. Ralph also liked to garden and had a large one for many years but limited himself to tomatoes in buckets for the last few years. Ralph also enjoyed feeding the birds and squirrels and watching their antics. Prior to entering the military, Ralph maintained a public skating rink behind the former Williams High School.

Ralph was predeceased by his wife, Mae Furbush, his parents, and his brother-in-law, Harold "Ben" Brackett.

Ralph is survived by his sons, Ralph Jr. and his wife, Donna, and Vaughn of Oakland, and Donald and his wife, Martha, of Sidney; his daughters, Jean Rasar and her husband, Vaughn, of Rome and Jane Butler and her husband, Craig, of Oakland. Nine grandchildren, Donna Farnham, Jon Farnham, Darlene Sproul, Laura King, Peter Rasar, Lynn Farnham, Brittany Rouse, Lydia Butler and Jeb Butler; and many great-grand children. He also is survived by his sister, Dorothy Brackett, of Oakland.

Friends are invited to visit 7-9 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 27, at Wheeler Funeral Home, 26 Church St., Oakland. A funeral service will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday at the Oakland Fire Station on Fairfield Street. Burial will be at the New Maine Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Augusta.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Oakland Fire Fighters Association, C/O David Coughlin, P.O. Box 187, Oakland, ME 04963.

"Fallen"

Rest now my fallen brother

Lay soft your suffering back

Rest well and forever Your memory shall not lack

Rest your tired hands

Wipe clean your weary brow

Rest with St. Florian

Your spirit now endowed

Rest here your breaking heart

We know you gave your all

Rest easy, you've done your part

You've answered your last call

Rest knowing that in God we sought

Oh Lord, watch over another who just fell

Rest assured your troubled thought

As we ring the final bell.

Submitted by R. Hoffman, SSgt. USAF/MOANG, Firefighter, Rosecrans Airport, St. Joseph, Mo.