Obituary of Faylene Mae Ballard

BELFAST - Faylene Mae Ballard, 81, born November 9, 1933 on Hannan’s Berry Farm, a commercial blueberry and strawberry business, passed away April 21, 2015. She took tap dancing and baton lessons as a child and occasionally took her work horse, Nellie, to Sherman’s Corner School. She attended Walker High School and was on the basketball team. She also attended Liberty Baptist Church. In eighth grade she learned 500 Bible verses with a rural Bible teacher who was allowed to come into the school and earned a free week at Camp Hope in New Hampshire. On April 9, 1950 she married Gardner Fuller. They lived in Searsmont for 21 years and had three children. Faylene was an accomplished seamstress, and sewed beautiful dresses for herself and her daughters. She was a hard worker, working at a children’s clothing factory in Camden, the Belfast Manufacturing Company, and Truitt Brothers Shoe for many years as an expert top stitcher. In 1975 she married Carl Gelo of Searsmont. They had large vegetable gardens and she did a lot of canning and cooking. They operated Queenbee’s Greenhouses in Searsmont and were very active in the Victor Grange: Faylene entertained the graingers with her singing voice, yodeling and guitar. She was a talented, self-taught guitar player and until her passing was known for yodeling in the hallways. She instilled a love for music in her children. Faylene then helped her daughter Maureen at her greenhouse business. Carl passed away only eleven years into their marriage. In 1989 Faylene married Charles Ballard of Liberty. In her retirement she enjoyed flower gardening, making dried flower arrangements, quilting, bird watching, and making beautiful stained glass creations. She was predeceased by her parents, Rose Alma Hannan and Guy Melvin Hannan of Liberty, her brother Wendell Hannan of Liberty, and her brother Gordon Hannan of Winslow. She is survived by her children - Wanda Rose Cooper and her husband Brian of Belfast, Maureen Lucinda Palmer and her husband Charlie of Freedom, and Gardner Wendell Fuller and his partner Rose Doughty of Frankfort. She had nine stepchildren, fourteen grandchildren, and numerous step grandchildren. Special thanks to Harbor Hill for their care and attention, especially during the Parkinson Trials. Services will be held April 26, 2015 at Liberty Baptist Church at 1:30pm. Burial will take place at a later date. Memories and condolences can be shared at www.ripostafh.com