Jane Fisher

Jane Fisher, 84, of West Newfield, died Sunday, Dec. 26, 2010, after a debilitating illness.She was born in Needham, Mass., on Sept. 11, 1926, one of 10 children born to Gordon and Sarah Turner. Jane was the wife of the late Wallace "Wally" Fisher, who died on Feb. 15, 2008. Wally and Jane were married July 16, 1947, a day both would probably agree was one of the happiest of their lives. After their marriage, the couple moved to West Newfield, Maine, where they began to build a life and raise their three children, Nancy, Joan and Bill.Around 1969, they purchased land on Route 11 in West Newfield that was once home to the Ramshackle Fair and then became known by many locals as Fisher Downs. Indulging his love of horses and harness racing, Jane helped Wally train their racehorses and went with him to the tracks and the fairs. She could often be seen walking around the track sporting her jaunty burgundy fedora.Jane's real calling was being a wife and mother. She was also a natural caregiver who helped friends and family alike. She was the first person to bring a dish, drive, clean or cook for someone who needed help. But no matter what she cooked, Jane's kitchen looked like a bomb went off when she was through - a trait that is shared by more than one member of her family.Jane enjoyed traveling to the Moosehead Lake region with family and friends, but her greatest joy was the large and small get-togethers she and Wally hosted at their home. She especially loved seeing family members from Texas - particularly her oldest sister, Margie, and Margie's children. Her family will fondly remember the Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve celebrations hosted at her house.Jane loved to have a good time, whether it was a game of poker with Wally and their good friends, or big, boisterous family gatherings with her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Her motto was, "The more, the merrier."Wally and Jane were lucky to find true love. When Wally became ill with heart disease in the 1970s, Jane learned to cook healthy dishes for him and kept him from exerting himself too much. When Jane became ill with rheumatoid arthritis in the 1990s, Wally took up housekeeping, learned to cook and lovingly took care of his wife. Neither complained; to both it was a labor of love. Besides her husband, Jane was predeceased by three brothers, Billy, Tom and "Ginger" and a sister, Phyllis.She is survived by two daughters, Nancy Turgeon, and her husband, Rudy, of West Newfield, with whom she lived, and Joan Dyer and her husband, Dave, of Shapleigh; a son, Bill Fisher and his wife, Ann, of West Newfield; and four sisters, Margie Wolford of Texas, Nancy Powell of Newfield, Pat Coffey and Susan Coffey of Massachusetts; and a brother, Bobby Turner, of New Hampshire. She will be greatly missed by her grandchildren and great-grandchildren: Karen (Turgeon) Tarbox, her husband, David, and their children, Katie and Hunter of West Newfield; John Turgeon of West Newfield and his sons, Corey, Sam and Isaiah; Bill Turgeon, his wife, Amy, and their daughters, Kendra and Carly of Shapleigh; Kim (Turgeon) Ouellette, her husband, Todd, and their children, Tyler, Aiden, Owen and Madison of West Newfield; Susan Dyer, DVM, of Bradford, Vt.; David Dyer, his wife, Sasha and their children, Brock, Camden and Kalina of Barre, Mass., Zack Fisher and his sons, Liam and Rowen, of Saco and Kyle Fisher of Waterboro. There will be no funeral; however, the family wishes to express their gratitude for the sympathies that have been extended.Arrangements are under the direction of the Carll-Heald & Black Funeral Home, 580 Main Street, Springvale. Condolences may be expressed at www.blackfuneralhomes.com.