Erlene was born in Saco, Maine on November 18, 1931 to Lewville and Bertha Huntress. Growing up in her childhood home on Garfield Street in Saco, Erlene attended Saco Schools graduating with the Class of 1950 from Thornton Academy. Throughout her years growing up and raising her family, Erlene was a proud member of the United Baptist Church of Saco.
Erlene met her husband, Dana Davis, who was a Radio and Television Engineer working at the WIDE Radio transmitter located just down the street in her Garfield Street neighborhood. Erlene and Dana were married on June 12, 1954 at United Baptist Church in Saco and were inseparable until Dana's death in 2006.
Soon after they were married, they bought their first home on Black Point Road in Scarboro where their three sons Scott, Brent and Michael were all born.
In 1964 Erlene and her family returned to Saco when they bought “SurfSong” their home on the beach in her beloved Kinney Shores, a home that Erlene loved and always counted as one of her many awesome blessings. For over 60 years, Erlene spent her summers at the family cottage on the shores of
Little Ossipee Lake in Waterboro, Maine. A special enjoyment of Erlene’s in her later years, were the peaceful summer days spent by the water’s edge with her lifelong friend and cousin Marjory Miller who owned the little cottage next door, at the other end of the well-worn path through the woods.
The two spent leisurely days on the shore of the lake enjoying each other’s company talking about their many years of shared memories of both good and difficult times between refreshing dips in the cool clear waters of their precious lake.
Throughout the years, one of Erlene’s greatest loves, was her love of genealogy and local history. Anyone who ever spent any time with Erlene quickly realized the vast amount of knowledge she had retained regarding her ancestry and the history of her town, county and state. Through her interest in Genealogy, Erlene became a columnist for The Maine Sunday Telegram, with a genealogical column appearing weekly titled "What's In A Name". Erlene wrote her "What's In A Name" column for several decades with the column being carried by numerous newspapers and other publications nationwide. In addition to her weekly newspaper column, Erlene also wrote several Genealogical Documents putting some of her decades of research into publications.
Unlike many genealogy hobbyists, who research their family history from books and documents from the kitchen table, Erlene's pursuit took her research out of the office and into the world, traveling to countless numbers of cemeteries, libraries and town halls, across Maine, New England,
the Unites States and to the homeland of she and Dana, exploring the boroughs, villages and towns of Scotland, England, and Wales.
Erlene and Dana traveled the countryside of Europe searching for, documenting, and photographing countless graves and homesteads of their ancestors in tiny cemeteries and villages across the European countryside. While exploring the homeland of their European lineage, Erlene and Dana lived aboard a 48-foot Canal Houseboat. According to Dana, Erlene developed the proficiency of a seasoned deck hand in the often-complicated operation of the many locks they encountered as they
proceeded through the canals moving from village to village.
Through their genealogical research in Scotland, Erlene and Dana developed a love for their Scottish lineage and upon return to Maine, attended a Scottish Highland Games and soon after, joined Clan Bruce, the clan of Erlene’s maternal Scottish heritage. Erlene's insolvent with Clan Bruce was a labor of love with her appointment as Genealogist/Registrar of the Family of Bruce Society in America, Inc. For many years, Erlene and Dana traveled throughout New England and Florida representing Clan Bruce in their Clan Bruce Tartan kilts at Highland Games and Kirken O’ The Tartan's, a rededication of clans to God’s service through the blessing of the clan tartans...
In the 1980's Erlene and Dana bought a home in Englewood Florida to escape the cold winters of Maine. They soon joined and became very involved in the numerous activities and ministries of Community Presbyterian Church of Englewood Florida. With their involvement with their new church, Erlene and Dana took on a new endeavor with the establishment of a Kirken O' The Tartan service and were instrumental in laying the groundwork for the church service which included a large procession of flags, Scottish banners and pipes. Erlene planned and prepared for months every year in the preparation of this event, which culminated in the represented kilted clans marching into the church, Erlene proudly donning her kilt in the beautiful Clan Bruce tartan of her beloved Scottish heritage.
Erlene is survived by her three sons and their wives, Scott and Loretta Davis of North Waterboro, Maine, Brent and Becky Davis of Port Charlotte, Florida and Michael and Rhonda Davis of Yalaha, Florida. Erlene was lovingly known as Grammy and cherished the time she got to spend with each of her 11 Grand Children and 12 Great Grand Children. Known as Leenie and Aunt Leenie, Erlene had a special love for each of her many cousins and nieces and nephews.
Erlene was pre-deceased by all her siblings, Virginia Maddox of Lingle, Wyoming. Marilyn Carter of Saco, Maine, Carroll P. Huntress of Dallas Texas, Barbara Hutchinson of Vero Beach, Florida and Jack Huntress of Dover New Hampshire.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.lemonbayfh.com for the DAVIS family.
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