Ernestine C. (Gunnerson) Chase

Ernestine Caroline (Gunnerson) Chase, 85 years old, died peacefully on March 15, 2021 at Durgin Pines Retirement Community in Kittery, Maine. She experienced a heart attack in the summer of 2019 while living at Farm View Estate and moved to Borderview Rehab & Living Center, Van Buren, Maine in October of 2019. Ernestine (Teena) recently moved to Durgin Pines senior living center to be closer to her family.

She was born on the family farm in “Little California”, just north of Stockholm, Maine. The ladies had gathered to give her mother, Selma, a baby shower. Thank goodness there was a mid-wife among the guests as Ernestine decided she wanted to join the party on May 26, 1935. Her parents were Ernest Gunnerson and Selma (Carlstrom-Hede) Gunnerson. Ernestine attended schools in Stockholm through 10th grade and then went on to Caribou High School to graduate in 1952. She worked as a teller at Northern Maine National bank for several years and then worked for Cyr Brothers Meat Packing Co. where she retired 33 years later.

Teena was a member of Faith Lutheran Church in Caribou and Trinity Lutheran Church in Stockholm. She met her husband, William S. Chase at Harvey’s Pharmacy in Caribou during her junior year in high school. William (Bill) would often drop by Harvey’s Pharmacy after school and “pretend to read magazines” until he eventually got the courage to ask for a date. Bill and Teena were married for 47 years and enjoyed their home and family in Caribou but especially enjoyed their retirement years at their home on Madawaska Lake. Teena loved to play cribbage, bridge, entertain and in the early days go to hear Bill’s band play at Prestile Hill in Caribou. She also had a knack of playing the piano and accordion by ear and enjoyed singing all the old songs. Teena loved traveling to FL and AK with her sisters Lorraine and Linda to visit brother Elmer, as well as, many trips to visit her daughter, husband and grandsons in southern Maine and her son and family in Virginia.

In addition to her parents, Teena was predeceased by her husband and sister, Lorraine Hede Harrision. She is survived by her children and their spouses, John and Julie Hallowell of Portsmouth, NH; Jeffrey and Christine Chase of Manassas, VA. Her grandsons, Benjamin Chase Hallowell of Portland, ME, Zachary John Hallowell of Dover, NH; her brother Elmer Gunnerson of Conner, ME; sisters, Eleanor Hede Johnson Sodergren of Caribou, ME, Linda Gunnerson Callison of New Sweden, ME; sister-in-law, Nancy (Chase) Hunter and husband Dwight of Caribou, and many nieces and nephews.

At Teena’s request, there will be a graveside service at the family cemetery, Johnson Cemetery in Presque Isle, ME - TBA. In lieu of flowers, gifts, in her memory, may be given to Trinity Lutheran Church in Stockholm, ME.

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