BANGOR- Doris E. Bessey, 93, died peacefully, August 7, 2011 at her residence. Doris and the family appreciated all who so lovingly cared for her over the past 2 years.

Doris Evelyn (Lander) Bessey was born on Nov. 28, 1917 at the Furbush place in Parkman, the third child of Alfred Meigs and Effie (Drew) Lander.

As a child on the farm on the Lander road in Parkman she rode in the milk truck with her father and loved the plants and trees surrounding their home there. When they moved to Cambridge she spent many hours at the Labree place with her neighbor "Aunt" Mamie Labree and learned the names of hundreds of plants and trees, and continued that love all her life identifying plants for us. She especially loved wild flowers.

Doris attended grammar school in Cambridge, Higgins Classical Institute in Charleston, Thomas College in Waterville, and Becker College in Worcester, MA.

On Dec 25,1946 she married Floyd (Bill) Clifton Bessey of Freedom. She met Bill while he was working for the State building a bridge in Cambridge. They had no children.

Both Doris and Bill enjoyed canoeing, camping, fishing, hunting, hiking, mountain climbing, and gardening. Doris always made her nephews handle the angle worms when they went fishing with her on Jimmy Brook. She loved to have her nephews come by train to her home in Augusta, teach them to ski and skate on the farm in Cambridge, and take them berry picking in Parkman. Later in life after the nephews' parents died, Doris moved to Bangor and made them her sons.

Doris worked as payroll clerk for Wyandott Worsted Co. in Waterville and then for over 30 years as Secretary for the State of Maine Bureau of Taxation.

Doris is survived by her nephews, Galen and his wife Deanna Lander, Duane Lander, and Philip and his wife Marilyn Lander, and several grand, great grand and great great grand nephews and nieces.

She was predeceased by her parents, Al and Effie, her husband Floyd (Bill) in 1990, sister Laura Brazier and brother Maurice Lander.

A graveside service will be held at 2 PM on Thursday, August 11, at Cambridge Memorial Garden in Cambridge.

Memorial gifts may be sent to the American Diabetes Association, 10 Bangor Rd, Augusta, ME 04330.

Gifts may also be sent in her name to Gideon's International of Bangor, PO Box 134, Bangor, ME 04402 for the purchase of Bibles.

Arrangements are by Crosby & Neal, Guilford.