Reaching milestones — Proud veterans, former summer residents set to celebrate 75th anniversary

Enjoying brunch at their son Tom's house are Helen and Don Mellor, who will celebrate their 75th anniversary on Nov. 24, likely making them the oldest couple to both have served in the military.

By Wayne E. Rivet

Staff Writer

Over their lifetime, Don and Helen Mellor have been extremely proud of three things:

One, they worked very hard.

Two, they proudly served their country.

Three, the couple has created a loving, close-knit family.

They will soon add another impressive milestone to their life’s resume — the Mellors will celebrate their 75th wedding anniversary on Nov. 24, and according to family, they are believed to be the oldest living couple who both served their country.

Don is 99. Helen is 96. The long-time Bridgton summer residents celebrate birthdays in February.

“They are an absolute hoot,” said grandson Mike, who remembers going to many 4 On The Fourth road races and seeing his grandmother win her age category. “They rile you with their humor.”

Don headed off to the Navy in 1943.

Their paths seemed destined to cross. Each was born in Cranston, R.I. and grew up nearly a block or two away from each other. Unlike families today, the Mellors established firm roots then and stayed put.

“When you look back over the last 90-plus years, I bet you could put a 7-iron down where they were born, and hit to the six different houses they lived in, in different directions. They have been Cranstonites their whole lives,” son Tom said.

They knew of each other, having both been employed at Builders Iron Factory, working the 8 to 5 shift. They became an item after attending a special dinner.

Helen heads off to USCG in 1944.

“One of dad’s friends and mom’s acquaintances were going into the Army, so there was a dinner to say good-bye. They happened to be seated across from each other at the table. I think dad had his eye on mom,” Tom recalled. “They had nine dates, and then decided to get married. My dad goes home and tells his mother, ‘Mom, I’m getting married.’ And she says, ‘To who?’”

Don is most proud that he always had a job. He grew up in the Depression. His dad had no money. Everybody was out of work. Don had a paper route and contributed to the family fund to buy food. He also helped a guy empty ashes. 

“He had a barrel over his shoulder and went to different houses to empty wood stoves and fireplaces, getting 25 cents,” Tom said. 

Don was a good athlete, playing three sports in high school. He was picked up by the Boston Olympics in 1941-42. They played in the old Eastern Hockey League, which consisted of six or seven teams. The Boston Olympics were the minor league club for the Boston Bruins. 

“If they had a game in New York, the train made multiple stops picking up players until they finally had a full team,” Tom said. “Dad, at times, had to hitchhike back because he had a job.”

Don and Helen at the Bridgton 4 on 4th finish line.

When Don suffered an injury playing hockey, he had just started a job with New England Telephone Co. The company told Don he was either going to climb poles or play hockey. 

“He was just starting a family at that time, so he made the decision it was time to get a real job,” Tom said. “New England Telephone was a solid job. If you could get a job with a good company, you just kept that job. My dad followed a simple rule — you show up on time, you act respectful, you don’t complain, you be a team player and be a good citizen. A pretty good rule to go by.”

Don is also proud of his military service, 1943-45. He served on a Fletcher-class destroyer — the USS Hopewell, DD681 (which he has on his R.I. license plate) — in the South Pacific

“His ship got hit by ground fire from the Japanese. They lost several men (17). Where the shell hit was the place my dad used to work; down underneath where the control room was. It had been really hot, and he was friends with a commanding officer. Three days before, he was moved on top (deck),” Tom said.

Don, Helen and grandson Mike in TaylorTown in Bridgton.

Tom saw a special gleam in his dad’s eyes four to five years ago when he accompanied Don on an Honor Flight to the nation’s historical landmarks in Washington, D.C.

“It was a wonderful day,” Tom said.

Helen served in U.S. Coast Guard, but didn’t go overseas. She was a member of the United States Coast Guard (USCG) Women’s Reserve, known as the SPARS. It was established by the United States Congress and signed into law by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on Nov. 23, 1942.This authorized the acceptance of women into the reserve as commissioned officers and at the enlisted level, for the duration of the war plus six months. Its purpose was to release officers and men for sea duty and to replace them with women at shore stations. Most of the enlisted women performed clerical duties, but they also rigged parachutes and drove jeeps. 

“Dad kids her that she would be walking up the ladder, and all men would be below, and her skirt would be waving,” Tom said. “They still have excellent sense of humor. And, they are very proud of their service. They are quite the couple.”

Don staying active and teaching schoolkids about WWII.

The Providence Journalrecently reported that a couple in their mid-90s were the oldest living married couple that both served in the military. 

“We wrote a nice respectful letter saying that was a beautiful article but we think they might be in second place,” Tom noted.

Finding Bridgton

Although they have always called Cranston, R.I. home, the Mellors had a love for Bridgton.

“They always wanted to get something in Maine,” Tom said.

They were driving through Maine and saw a sign on Route 302. It said, “Cabins For Sale.” They debated about exploring the possibility, and suddenly made a U-turn into TaylorTown. Owner Craig Taylor handed the couple six to seven keys, noting that he had just put the cabins on the market.

“They’re all for sale.”

They walked around for an hour, looking at each cabin. They decided upon a corner cabin with stunning views of Highland Lake and Mt. Washington.

They gave deposit, and Don returned a week later with $36,000 cash. He had just sold a house where he lived since the couple had moved in with Helen’s elderly parents. For the next 20 years, Don added to the cabin — a loft, deck, dock, little playhouse for the kids, work shed. 

“He was an incredible handyman and furniture maker. He could do anything. He’d make gifts for those whose lives touched them,” Tom said. “They had more fun up at that cabin. He’d take summer off from his job and stay at the cabin. The kids had their kids and we all would have reunions around the Fourth of July; we’d rent some rooms, while also tossing down tents and sleeping bags.”

The family certainly grew over the years — six kids, 46 grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Mike has fond memories of learning to build items with his grandfather, enjoying breakfast at Sandy’s Flight Deck in Naples, and of course, swimming in the lake.

“They called me the ‘loon’ because I’d go underwater for as long as possible and then freak my grandmother out by popping up behind her,” Mike recalled.

About 20 years ago, on one Fourth of July, one of Tom’s sisters is married to an Air Force pilot. He flew A-10s, and now teaches pilots in that aircraft. He arranged a three A-10 fly by.

Don and Helen sharing a romantic moment. (Photos courtesy of the Mellor family)

“We were down on the dock, and he was on the phone with his boys. 90 seconds later, our eyes were on these dots on the horizon. They came zooming down the lake, engines roaring, and shoot up into the air. I heard people in the coffee shops asking, “Did you see the fly by? What the hell was that?” We were waving flags,” Tom recalled.

Don and Helen also loved to travel. Over the years with their children, they visited every state fivetimes. They also drove to Alaska three times. That love of adventure rubbed off on Mike, who has also explored across the map.

When getting to Maine became tougher for Don and Helen, they sold the house and put a pool in their backyard, which Don still swims every day. 

“A guy told my dad that he had never put a pool in for an 84-year-old,” Tom said. 

Don retired from the Telephone Co. at age 65. He took a month off and decided he needed to get back to work. So, Don went to work for the Cranston Public Library. 

“It has seven branches and a main branch. You can take a book out of one branch, and return it to another branch. His job was to go to branch to branch, get the books that didn’t belong there, and bring them back to headquarters, sort them out and redeliver them back to the branches. He tells me that if everybody did what his mother told him to do — which is put it back to where you got it from — he would be out of a job,” Tom noted.

One day last year, Don just stepped away. 

“He woke up and said the job was getting a little too much for him. He wasn’t as steady. It’s time to move on,” Tom said. “My older brother, Duke, who was a telephone man and had retired, took his role as book van driver. They’re keeping it in the family.”

Overall, the couple have enjoyed good health. Don had an aortic valve replacement a few years ago, and was back on the job three months later. 

“He prides himself for being tough and never complains and has a great sense of humor,” Tom said.

He also holds his military service close to his heart. Today, he shares those experiences with schoolchildren. Tom took old photographs of Don’s military days and had them enlarged to poster size. He brings them to his informal lectures, and also passes out American flags to the youngsters.

“He is often asked, ‘How old are you?’ Since dad has plenty of one-liners he likes to use, he says ‘99 but I’d be 100 but I was sick one year.’ He loves a good joke,” Tom said. 

The Mellors stay connected to Bridgton through the BNews

“We got them the Bridgton News a couple of years ago. You’ll find the paper sitting on table, and they tell us how much they love The Bridgton News,” Tom said.

To honor the couple of their upcoming milestone, Tom and Mike came up with a little surprise.

“What a fun idea to pick it (The News)up and read a story about themselves,” Tom said.

Indeed, the Mellors can add another chapter to their incredible story.