Betty Araminta Wing (1928-2018)

EUSTIS – Betty Araminta Wing, 90, of Eustis, passed away at Franklin Memorial Hospital in Farmington, on October 4, 2018, with her daughter and son by her side. She was born on September 11, 1928 in Bayshore, Long Island, NY, daughter of Jeremiah Buell Petty and Elizabeth Berrian Price Petty. Her family moved to North Anson around 1935 and she graduated high school from Anson Academy.

She married Duluth E. Wing on April 9, 1948, a year after they met at the Mount Bigelow fire tower where Duluth was a watchman for the Maine Forest Service. They lived in Flagstaff village until it became Flagstaff Lake in 1950, then moving to Eustis. For many years they lived with their two children at the Eustis Maine Forest Service headquarters where she was also employed for 21 years as a radio and telephone operator and weather station superintendent.

Betty enjoyed many years of happy retirement and was always very active in many historical societies and the passion of her life the Order of Eastern Star for 68 years. She served as Worthy Matron for many years at Somerset Chapter in Stratton as well as a District Deputy Grand Matron. She was a life member of the Arnold Expedition Historical Society, member of the Dead River Area Historical Society, the Embden Historical Society, the Lexington Highland Historical Society, and Pythian Sisters. Another all-consuming interest in her life was keeping detailed weather records for NOAA eventually working for that agency for almost 60 years. She is the recipient of two prestigious national NOAA awards. She was also employed by Central Maine Power and Brookfield Energy maintaining year round precipitation records for data collection relative to Flagstaff Lake and the Kennebec River. Most knew her as “Betty Wing from Eustis” on WCSH TV reporting her local weather as one of their faithful weather observers. She was a long-time member of the Wing Family of America and the Wing Assembly of Maine and was always proud of the Wing family roots even though she was pure Irish.

She loved eating lobster rolls, picking berries and fiddleheads, baking blueberry pies, making Canadian relish, sweet pickles and tons of jellies and jams.

Betty is survived by her son Kenny of Eustis; her daughter Judith and husband Rev. Richard Lambert, retired, of Hampden; her grandchildren Jennifer Elaine Campbell, Nathan Lambert, Jonathan Lambert, all of Bangor, Ryan Wing of Canaan and Sean Wing of Corrina; and her great grandchildren Kendall Lambert, Ethan Lambert, Hattie Lambert, Thaddeus Lambert, Rhowen Campbell, Jovan Lambert, Simon Lambert, Finnegan Wing, Avery Wing, Parker Wing and Trent Wing. She was predeceased by her husband Duluth E. Wing and brother Satterlee Petty both of Eustis.

There will be a graveside committal service at 1:00 p.m. On Saturday, Oct. 20, 2018 at the Flagstaff Memorial Cemetery with a gathering afterwards of family and friends for refreshments at the Mount Bigelow Masonic Lodge on School Street in Stratton.

In lieu of flowers Betty preferred that everyone would donate to their favorite charity or to the Somerset Chapter Order of Eastern Star, c/o Peter Farnsworth, Secretary, P.O. Box 398, Stratton, ME 04982 or Flagstaff Memorial Chapel Association, c/o Ruey Yehle, Treasurer, 25 Northern Ave., Hampden, ME 04444.

Arrangements are under the care and direction of Dan & Scott’s Cremation & Funeral Service, 488 Farmington Falls Rd., Farmington, ME 04938