Marge Lewis Photo: courtesy of Claire Auger
By Lawrence Furbish
On June 11, Marge Lewis hit the century mark, and what a 100 years it has been. Marge was born and grew up in Sanford. Her high school yearbook called her Marjorie Elizabeth Kenney, or “Mac” to her friends. Her course work was listed as “scientific.” She was a member of the outing club and on the graduation committee. The yearbook quotation about her was, “Although she’s always on the go, she never fails to say hello.” In 1955, Marge’s husband was transferred to New Jersey as a postal inspector, so she left her hometown.
As the daughter of a World War I veteran and the wife of a World War II veteran, Marge joined the American Legion Auxiliary in 1966 and became active in a New Jersey post as its president. After her husband passed away and her children grew up, Marge moved back to Sanford. She quickly became active in American Legion Post 19, serving as its chaplain.
She holds the record for selling red poppies in remembrance of veterans. In fact, at this year’s Sanford Memorial Day service, she read the poem “In Flanders Fields”by John McCrae, a Canadian lieutenant colonel who wrote the poem in 1915 after burying a friend after the Second Battle of Ypres. Her voice was strong with no need of amplification as she read, “In Flanders fields the poppies blow between the crosses, row on row.”
Marge has also been an active volunteer. She has been a docent at the Sanford-Springvale Historical Society Museum for many years before recently retiring. She used to joke that given her age, she herself was one of the society’s exhibits. She also preciously guarded one of her chores, which was unlocking the front door on days the museum was open. If someone else did it before she arrived, she could be a little grumpy. Marge also volunteered at Books Revisited.
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