Merilda Lavertu

Merilda E. Lavertu, 86, of Biddeford, died on Saturday, February 5, 2011 at St. Andre's Health Care Facility in Biddeford after a long battle with Parkinson's disease.Merilda was born in St. Fortunat, Quebec, Canada on August 21, 1924 to Edward and Mary (Grenier) Laitres, one of 17 children. Her family moved to Sanford when she was a young girl where she grew up and attended local schools. In 1945 she married Gaston Lavertu and they spent the next 65 years together and raised one son. Merilda had several jobs during her life including working at the Goodall Mills and at Dover Shoe Company. She was a very hardworking woman and continued working until she was 74 years old. Merilda enjoyed sewing, knitting, crocheting watching golf and sitting on the beach. Family was always very important to her. She loved attending family functions. She would always be the first of the family to arrive and the last to leave, regardless of what the occasion was. She had been a member of Holy Rosary Parish in Rochester and St. Andre's Parish in Biddeford. She will be remembered as a devoted and loving wife, mother, grandmother and great grandmother and will be dearly missed by her family and friends.Surviving are her husband, Gaston Lavertu of Biddeford; a son Donald Lavertu and his wife Carol of Biddeford; a granddaughter, Laurie Lavertu and her fiancee Kevin Morin and his Gavin of Biddeford; a grandson, Kevin Lavertu and his wife Brandi and son Gaston Will of Fayetteville, NC and five siblings, Anita St. Pierre of Enfield, CT, Rose Eva Plante and her husband Joseph of Dover, NH, Ernestine Desmarais of Rochester, NH, O'Neil Laitres and his wife Lorraine of Sanford and Raoul Laitres and his wife Claire of Plainfield, CT.Visitation will be held from 6:00 to 8:00 PM on Tuesday, February 8th at the Lafrance-Lambert & Black Funeral Home, 29 Winter Street in Sanford. A Funeral Service will be held at 11:00 AM on Wednesday, February 9th at St. Therse of Lisieux Parish, Holy Family Church, located on North Avenue in Sanford. Interment will take place in the spring at St. Ignatius Cemetery in Sanford.To leave a message of condolence for the family please visit www.blackfuneralhomes.com.