Mary Elizabeth Lewis Graves (Betty), age 92, passed away peacefully at her home in Falmouth, Maine, on Dec. 30, 2025.
Betty was born at home in Jamaica Plain, Mass., on a stormy January night in 1933 to Margaret Cowan Lewis and Charles S. Lewis. She was the second of three children, raised in a loving home whose life centered around family and church.
kAmsFC:?8 (@C=5 (2C xx[ D96 4@==64E65 3@EE=6D 2?5 49:4<6? 8C62D6 E@ 4@?EC:3FE6 E@ E96 H2C 677@CE 2?5 6G6? >@G65 E@ |:DD:DD:AA: H96? 96C 72E96C E2F89E ?2G:82E:@? E@ p:C u@C46 A:=@ED]k^Am
kAm%96 72>:=J 42=6?52C 2=H2JD 4F=>:?2E65 @? E96 =2DE 52J @7 D49@@=[ H96? E96J EC2G6=65 E@ E96 36=@G65 72>:=J 72C> :? $:5?6J[ |2:?6[ E@ 96=A H:E9 E96 92J 92CG6DE[ D=@A E96 A:8D 2?5 DH:> :? {2<6 |6DD2=@?D<66]k^Am
kAmp AC@5F4E @7 q@DE@? AF3=:4 D49@@=D[ q6EEJ 8C25F2E65 7C@> v:C=D’ {2E:? $49@@= 2?5 C646:G65 2 }2E:@?2= |6C:E $49@=2CD9:A E@ q2E6D r@==686] %96C6[ D96 3642>6 2 C68:DE6C65 ?FCD6 2?5 >6E 96C =:76=@?8 A2CE?6C[ s@?2=5 vC2G6D]k^Am
kAm%96J >2CC:65 2 J62C 367@C6 96C 8C25F2E:@? :? `hdd 2?5 2 G:D:3=J AC68?2?E q6EEJ H2D 5:D4C66E=J 92?565 96C 5:A=@>2[ 2D 2 AC68?2?E DEF56?E >2C49:?8 :? 42A 2?5 8@H? H2D C2E96C D42?52=@FD 2E E96 E:>6]k^Am
kAm|F49 92D 366? HC:EE6? 23@FE E96 “vC62E6DE v6?6C2E:@?[” 3FE 72C =6DD 23@FE E96 H@>6? H9@ 3F:=E E96 7@F?52E:@? @? H9:49 E92E 86?6C2E:@? DE@@5] q6EEJ 6>3@5:65 E92E DEC6?8E9] $96 4@F=5 D:>F=E2?6@FD=J ?FCD6 2? :?72?E[ A=2J v@ u:D9 2?5 D92CA=J 2DD6DD 2 E66?286C’D 96>=:?6] $96 4@F=5 >2<6 2 3@I @7 8@G6C?>6?E 4966D6 2?5 2 D:?8=6 C@2DE 49:4<6? 7665 2 72>:=J @7 D6G6? 7@C 2 H66<] $96 D6H65 >2E49:?8 t2DE6C 5C6DD6D[ C67:?:D965 7FC?:EFC6 C6D4F65 7C@> E96 5F>A 2?5 H@C<65 ?:89E D9:7ED 2E 2 ?FCD:?8 9@>6]k^Am
kAm|@DE :>A@CE2?E=J[ D96 =:DE6?65 — H:E9 ?@?;F58>6?E2= DJ>A2E9J[ H:E9 H:D5@>[ 2?5 2=H2JD H:E9 2 86?E=6 AFD9 7@CH2C5] x? 96C 9@>6 3F:=E @? E9:D DEC@?8 7@F?52E:@? @7 =@G6[ :?E6==:86?46 2?5 4@>A6E6?46[ D96 C2:D65 7:G6 C6D:=:6?E 49:=5C6? E9C@F89 E96 EFC3F=6?E `he_D 2?5 `hf_D[ H9:=6 <66A:?8 2? 6IEC2@C5:?2CJ 2?5 9:89\>2:?E6?2?46 9FD32?5 C625J 7@C E96 H@C=5]k^Am
kAmq6EEJ’D 8C62E6DE ;@J H2D 96C 8C2?549:=5C6?] (:E9 E96>[ D96 =6E =@@D6 2?5 925 7F?] r2? H6 C:56 E96 >2EEC6DD 5@H? E96 DE2:CD[ vC2?5>2n r2? H6 DE@>A E9C@F89 E96 AF55=6Dn (:== J@F 3@CC@H 2 96=>6E 2?5 D<2E6 5@H? E96 9:== H:E9 FDn %96 2?DH6C H2D[ @7 4@FCD6[ J6D]k^Am
kAmpD 96C 8C2?549:=5C6? 8C6H[ 96C 9@>6 C6>2:?65 2 D64FC6 2?5 H6=4@>:?8 A=246 E@ FD96C E96> :?E@ 25F=E9@@5] q6EEJ H2D 2=D@ 2 7@F?52E:@? 7@C E9@D6 36J@?5 96C 72>:=J] w6C r9C:DE:2?:EJ H2D 24E:G6 2?5 8C@F?565 :? D6CG:46 E@ @E96CD] $96 E@@< :? >@E96CD H9@ 925 ?@H96C6 6=D6 E@ 8@[ DFAA@CE:?8 E96> H:E9:? 96C 2=C625J 3FDJ 9@FD69@=5] $96 EC2G6=65 E@ w@?5FC2D E@ D6CG6 @? >65:42= E62>D[ 5@?2E65 86?6C@FD=J 2?5 G@=F?E66C65 4@F?E=6DD 9@FCD H:E9 @C82?:K2E:@?D D6CG:?8 49:=5C6? =@42==J 2?5 2C@F?5 E96 H@C=5]k^Am
kAm$96 2=D@ C625 E@ 2?5 7F?565 EC:AD 7@C 9F?5C65D @7 49:=5C6? 2E #6:496 t=6>6?E2CJ $49@@= :? !@CE=2?5] q6EEJ’D =:76 AC@G:565 2 DEC@?8 7@F?52E:@? 7@C >2?J 86?6C2E:@?D E@ DE2?5 @?[ 8C@H 7C@> 2?5[ :? EFC?[ 3F:=5 7@C @E96CD] $96 H:== 36 566A=J >:DD65]k^Am
kAmq6EEJ :D DFCG:G65 3J 96C D:3=:?8D t==6? wF77 @7 ~=5 %@H?[ |2:?6[ 2?5 96C 3C@E96C #2J>@?5 {6H:D @7 qCF?DH:4<[ |2:?6j 96C 52F89E6C |2C:@? r92?8 2?5 9FD32?5 r96\>:?8 @7 %@C@?E@[ ~?E2C:@j 96C 52F89E6C p=J46 vC2G6D @7 u2=>@FE9[ |2:?6j 96C 52F89E6C r2C@=:?6 2?5 9FD32?5 y@9? w@5D5@? @7 rF>36C=2?5[ |2:?6j 96C D@? (:==:2> vC2G6D @7 !@CED>@FE9[ }]w]j 96C 52F89E6C {2FC2 vC2G6D 2?5 9FD32?5 (:==:2> }6656=>2? @7 !@CE=2?5[ |2:?6j 8C2?549:=5C6? $2C2 r92?8 2?5 9FD32?5 !C2?6D9 r92<C23@CEJ[ p?5C6H r92?8 2?5 H:76 $2>2?E92 uC@DE[ v6@77C6J r92?8[ y@D6A9 w636CE 2?5 H:76 $23C:?2[ |2C82C6E }28=6 2?5 9FD32?5 tC:4[ vC68 w@5D5@? 2?5 H:76 |@==J (6DE[ {6?2 }6656=>2?[ y2>6D }6656=>2?[ 2?5 `_ 8C62E\8C2?549:=5C6?]k^Am
kAm$96 H2D AC656462D65 3J 96C 9FD32?5 @7 de J62CD[ s@?2=5 w] vC2G6D]k^Am
kAmp >6>@C:2= D6CG:46 H:== 36 96=5 2E u2=>@FE9 r@?8C682E:@?2= r9FC49[ aef u2=>@FE9 #@25[ u2=>@FE9[ 2E `` 2]>] @? y2?] ac[ H:E9 C646AE:@? E@ 7@==@H] pCC2?86>6?ED 2C6 F?56C E96 5:C64E:@? @7 E96 r@?C@J\%F==J (2=<6C rC6>2E:@?[ uF?6C2= 2?5 v2E96C:?8 r6?E6C[ b__ p==6? pG6][ !@CE=2?5] %@ G:6H q6EEJUCDBF@jD |6>@C:2= !286[ @C E@ D92C6 2? @?=:?6 4@?5@=6?46[ A=62D6 G:D:E k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^HHH]r@?C@J%F==J(2=<6C]4@>QmHHH]r@?C@J%F==J(2=<6C]4@>k^2m ]x? =:6F @7 7=@H6CD[ 5@?2E:@?D >2J 36 >256 E@ vC62E6C !@CE=2?5 u2>:=J !C@>:D6 @C x>>:8C2?E {682= p4E:@? !C@;64E]k^Am
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.