Obituary of Arline D. Verkruysse

Arline D. Verkruysse, age 94, died October 19, 2015 at Watauga Medical Center in Boone, NC. Born February 25, l921 in Winslow, Maine, Arline was the only child of Bert and Marion Totman Dyer. Surviving are her son and daughter-in-law, James and Candace Israelson of Deep Gap, NC, with whom she spent the last 8 years. She leaves 3 grandchildren, Crystal Bishop of Saco, ME, Rachel Brown of Carthage, ME, and Jessica Prue of Poland, ME; and 5 great-grandchildren. She was pre-deceased by a daughter, Patricia in 1997, and both her husbands, Julian P. Israelson of Rumford, ME and Emile D. Verkruysse of Gardiner, ME. Most of her early years were spent in Oakland, ME where she graduated from Williams High School in 1938. Arline studied Ornithology at Cornell University, and was an active member of the U.S. Fish and wildlife Service. For many years she was an active bander of birds and identified and banded several thousand birds during her career. She was employed as an executive secretary at Diamond Match Co. in Oakland; Northeast Industries in Calais; and later, at Careys Oil Co. in Rumford. Mrs. Verkruysse then retired from Stone & Cooper Oil Co. in Augusta, ME in 1985. An active member of the Universalist Church of Rumford, ME, she taught Sunday school and sang in the church choir. Her many hobbies included handcrafting dozens of quilts, many of which won blue ribbons at State Fairs and quilt shows. For 22 years, she volunteered at the Gardiner, ME Public Library and served as the resident historian and genealogist. She will be sorely missed by her many friends and relatives who always enjoyed her humor, wit, and company. As Arline requested, there will be no funeral service. Inurnment will be at Gracelawn Memorial Park in the Perpetual Urn Garden in Auburn, ME with her husband, Emile D. Verkruysse. Online condolences may be shared at the website www.austinandbarnesfuneralhome.com Austin & Barnes Funeral Home and Crematory is serving the Verkruysse family.