1929 – 2016

LIVERMORE — Eleanor Irene (Gile) Fuller Jackson, 87, of Livermore died peacefully early Wednesday evening, Nov 23, at her home among family and friends.

She was born Jan. 1, 1929, a daughter of Arthur Andrew and Geneva Bell (Gile) Fuller. She attended schools in Fayette, Auburn and Kent’s Hill. On Jan. 31, 1947, she married Lewis Jackson and they made their home in Livermore. He died in November 2009.

Favorite times were spent at her grandfather’s farm in Fayette with her uncles, Herm, Harold and Floyd “Bill” Gile and her special cousin, Merle. She resided in Maryland and Rhode Island before returning home to Livermore. While in Rhode Island, she opened a successful greenhouse and also drove a school bus there for two years. When returning to Livermore, she started driving bus for SAD 36 where she was the first woman bus driver and she continued for 40 years, retiring at the age of 81. She rebuilt her greenhouse business at her home in Livermore. She had a true “gift” when it came to making beautiful plants grow. People would travel many miles to purchase her plants. Her work ethic was unmatched; never taking a day off except to do another job that “needed doing.”

She touched the lives of so many children and was loved and respected not only as their bus driver but as someone who truly cared about each one of “her” kids. She was honored and very humbled to be a recipient of a Golden Apple Award. She always enjoyed her music, her cows, chickens, gardening and most especially mowing the lawn on her John Deere. Her love of the outdoors, animals and nature was unsurpassed. She proudly carried on the tradition of raising Hereford cattle that were introduced in Maine by her grandfather, Elmer Gile and another local man in Fayette. She also showed cattle at local fairs as did her grandfather. She was very involved with her grandchildren’s 4-H Beef Club and all of her grandchildren’s activities.

She had the very best laugh and it was contagious. She was loved by more than she ever realized.

Her family would like to thank Androscoggin Home Health Care and Hospice and the staff on M4 at Central Maine Medical Center for their loving care.

She is survived by three daughters, Linda Miller of Turner, Rhonda Lavoie and Elise Jackson, both of Livermore; a sister, Barbara Chase of Wayne; seven grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren.

She was predeceased by a brother, Robert Fuller.

Condolences and tributes as well as a memorial video may be shared on her memorial wall at www.wilesrc.com.