MELBOURNE, FLORIDA — Merle Elizabeth McAllister, 84, of North Waterford, Maine, passed away on Sunday, Feb. 23 while on her annual pilgrimage to Florida to escape the Maine winter. She was born in Boston, Mass., to Albert and Hazel (O’Neill) Allen on January 14, 1936.

She was one of seven children, being the third oldest. She grew up spending her summers on the O’Neill dairy farm in New Brunswick, Canada. Her parents moved to North Waterford when she was a teenager. Merle met Erlon McAllister at the Waterford dances one summer, and he went up to her and stated, “you are the girl I am going to marry!” They were wed on the 19th of Feb., 1955, and went on to have four children.

Merle enjoyed cooking, and worked at several places throughout her life. She worked at Evergreen Valley, Westways, the Old Rowley Inn, and in the kitchen of Camp Susan Curtis in Stoneham. She was always an active member of the North Waterford Congregational Church.

Merle is survived by her brother, Albert Allen and his wife Nita of Sanford; daughter Gloria McKee of Melbourne, Fla.; her sons: Frederick McAllister and his wife Laurie of North Waterford; Keith McAllister and his wife Crissy of Harrison; her son-in-law Joel Martin of North Waterford; her grandchildren: Amanda Stevens and her husband Ethan of Westbrook; Mindy Stewart and her partner Greg Casavola of East Waterford; Nicole Barling and her husband Tom of Burton upon Trent, England; Shane McKee and his partner Elisabeth Perkins of North Waterford; Crystal McAllister and her partner Lance Cook of Oxford; Matthew McAllister of North Waterford; Adam Josselyn and his sister Kaitlyn of Harrison; her great-grandchildren: Tianna McNeil of East Waterford; Nikki Brackett of Oxford; Landon Josselyn of Norway; and many nieces, nephews and cousins. She was predeceased by her husband, Erlon, of 50 years, and her daughter, Beverly Martin, as well as her parents and sisters.

Church services will be held on Saturday, June 27, at 1 p.m., at the North Waterford Congregational Church. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be sent to the North Waterford Congregational Church, P.O. Box 95, North Waterford, ME 04267, or to the Susan L. Curtis Foundation, 1321 Washington Avenue, Suite #104, Portland, ME 04103.