Arlene McLaughlin (Elsemore)

Baileyville – Arlene R. McLaughlin, 88, was surrounded by family at Calais Regional Hospital on December 15, 2018 when she passed from this world to her eternal home. Arlene was born to James and Zilla (Annas) Elsemore on November 9, 1930 in Calais. She lived her life in Baileyville where she graduated from St. Croix High School, class of ’48, married William R. McLaughlin Sr. March 9, 1951 and raised their five children.

Through the years Arlene works some jobs outside the home including Ames in Calais and Her sister Ethel’s restaurant that was on the Arlene’s property. She and her daughter-in-law Vickie enjoyed many seasons of wreath making together working hard and sharing laughs. But mostly Arlene was an at home Mother raising her five children.

She was an excellent crafter, quilter and seamstress. She and her sister Margaret did craft sales out of Arlene and William’s (Bill’s) home when their children were young for a time. Two of her later projects included making cloth-backed clocks on embroidery hoops and bingo bags. Arlene had a love for sewing and was very good at it. She and her friend Bev Crosby made school prom dresses for her daughters and a wedding dress for her daughter-in-law. She made many beautiful quilts, which many of her family have to this day.

In the early years when Arlene and Bill were raising young children he encouraged her to go with her friends to bingo when he had the night off. This was something she enjoyed for many years. She made many friends there over the years and missed them when she no longer felt like going. She loved to do word search books and watch the Celtics and Red Sox.

Arlene loved to drive and was always available to take others where they needed to go. She and Edie and sometimes Gladys could be seen about any day out for coffee and then a drive just for something to do. In the last year others would get her out for a drive, many times her friend Miriam would join them. She loved to drive down memory lane, which included much of the town and the Wickachee in Calais.
Of all the things she ever loved having her family around to enjoy her spaghetti or burgers and hot dogs was her favorite.

Arlene was predeceased by her husband 51 years ago, and later by her parents; two children, Brenda McLaughlin and David McLaughlin; two grandsons, Tony McLaughlin and Kevin Scott; a great grandson, Tyler Brian Johnson, all of her eight siblings; Essie Byrnes and husband Heber, Naaman Elsemore, Margaret Campbell and husband Ceward, Darrell Elsemore and wife Elsie, Merle Elsemore and wife Winnie, Lawrence Elsemore, Alta Elsemore, Ethel Elsemore and many nieces and nephews.

She will be forever in the hearts of her three children, William McLaughlin and his wife Vickie, Betty Newman and her husband Larry, all of Baileyville and Stephen McLaughlin and his wife Jeanene of OH; twenty-three grandchildren, thirty-three great grandchildren and three great-great grandchildren.

Arlene’s family would like to invite friends to join them in a celebration of life 2:30 pm on Saturday, January 12, 2019 at Woodland Jr. Sr. High School Gymnasium. A committal service will be announced in the spring. Arrangements by Mays Funeral Home, Calais & Eastport.