OLD ORCHARD BEACH — Jeannette Gendron, 89, of Old Orchard Beach, died Sunday, July 23, 2017 at Evergreen Manor in Saco.

She was born Feb. 12, 1928 in Biddeford a daughter of Omer and Blanche (Moreau) Gagne and was educated in Old Orchard Beach schools.

On Nov. 23, 1946, she married Marcel A. Gendron in St. Margaret’s Church in Old Orchard.

Jeannette had worked for four years with Bates Manufacturing Co. in Saco. She later was a baker in the Old Orchard Beach School Lunch program, retiring in 1998.

Jeannette took great pride in her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She was happiest when she was surrounded by her family. She was a caregiver for her mother and other relatives, and cared for her husband, who suffered from Alzheimers, at home until a week before his death. Her strong faith in God sustained her until the end.

Jeannette had been a eucharistic minister at St. Margaret’s Church. Until she lost most of her sight, she was a tremendous homemaker and baker. Well into her 70s, she had a large garden and loved to can the vegetables she grew. She was an innovative problem solver who could take very little and make it into something very useful for her large family. She loved to sew, knit, crochet, and make ceramics. Each of their children received beautiful hand-painted manger sets to put in a manger Marcel had made. She and Marcel loved to take road trips. She always enjoyed going to Tennessee for a month to visit her daughter.

Preceding her in death were Marcel, her husband of 64 years in 2011, a granddaughter, Cheryl D’Amico in 1991, a grandson Keith Babbidge, and sisters Simonne and Theresa.

She is survived by a son, Norman Gendron, and his wife Carrie of Saco; six daughters, Doris Babbidge and her husband Jon of South Paris, Lucille Poisson and her husband George of Lyman, Jeannine Bartlett and her husband Rick of Portland, Suzanne Greenlee and her husband Richard of Old Orchard Beach, Irene Bible and her husband Ondis of Lebanon, Tennessee, and Lillian Christy and her husband Robert of Scarborough; two brothers, Arthur Gagne and his wife Barbara of Biddeford and Donald Gagne and his wife Mary of Old Orchard Beach; a sister, Cecile Pruneau of Biddeford; 20 grandchildren; several great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.

A special thanks for all the caring and compassion we received from the staff at Evergreen Rehabilitation Center these past few months. We have been blessed to have been able to share our lives with this wonderful woman. She was a dedicated servant, and we know she is being welcomed with open arms into our heavenly Father’s presence.

Calling hours will be 4 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, July 26 at Hope Memorial Chapel, 480 Elm St. Biddeford. Mass of Christian burial will be at 10 a.m. Thursday at St. Margaret Church in Old Orchard Beach. Burial will be in St. Joseph’s Cemetery in Biddeford.

To express condolences on line please visit www.hopememorialchapel.com.

Donations in memory of Jeannette may be made to the Cheryl D’Amico Memorial Scholarship, c/o Biddeford Vocational School, 23 Maplewood Ave. Biddeford, ME 04005.