CASCO – During her lifetime, she helped run a dairy farm, cared for the sick and elderly, and became one of the top Realtors in Maine and the nation.

Carolyn F. Edwards led, in her family’s own words, a busy life.

Mrs. Edwards died Friday at Bridgton Hospital after a brief illness. She was 85.

“I asked my mother a year ago to please write down all the facts of her life because I knew I could never remember all the things she did in her lifetime,” said a daughter, Virginia R. Edwards of Portland.

Born and raised in Raymond, Mrs. Edwards spent most of her adult life in Casco.

Her life on Pine Hill Farm in Casco began in 1944 after she married dairy farmer Justin Edwards, who died in 1989.

Advertisement

Together they raised dairy cattle on the 120-acre farm which sits on Mayberry Hill.

“My mother was a farmer’s wife. She worked very hard,” her daughter recalled. “Every night, she’d have to have dinner on the table for as many as 14 people, including her seven children and the farm hands. She made pies and doughnuts and could make the perfect biscuit without having to follow a recipe.”

In 1968, Mrs. Edwards became a licensed practical nurse, providing private duty care for elderly patients. She also worked at the former Merrill Nursing Home.

“My father decided to give up dairy farming because they weren’t making any money,” her daughter said.

She said it was her father that got her mother interested in real estate. He talked her into taking a course with him.

“But it was my mother who ended up being the Realtor,” she said.

Advertisement

They sold their dairy herd in 1967 and focused on their growing business — Carolyn F. Edwards Inc. Realtor on Route 302 in Raymond.

In 1971, Mrs. Edwards became a Realtor.

“In the 1970s, my mother was going great guns,” her daughter said.

She said her mother must have sold hundreds of homes throughout the Lakes Region during her 20-year career.

“Another Realtor once told me that in the 1970s your mother was it,” her daughter said.

In 1981, Mrs. Edwards was featured in Who’s Who in Real Estate in America.

Advertisement

She was also named Realtor of the Year, was the former president and governor of the Women’s Council of Realtors, and president of the Western Maine Board of Realtors.

Edwards said her parents became so successful that they were able to buy a condo in Hawaii where they spent their winters.

After her husband’s death, Mrs. Edwards enjoyed spending time in Florida.

She had strong ties to her community.

After World War II, she became one of the founding members of the Vendredi Club. Club members did charity work and fundraising to benefit the Casco community.

They also sent care packages to England after the war, helped a disabled veteran buy a home, and bought children’s books for the local library.

Advertisement

She also served for seven years on the Casco Planning Board and was a member of the Casco-Raymond Historical Society.

 

Staff Writer Dennis Hoey can be contacted at 791-6365 or at:

dhoey@pressherald.com

 

 

 


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.