South GARDINER - DELSIE E. (NICKLESS) MORSE—Delsie (Nickless) E. Morse died in Maine General Medical Center, Augusta, Maine Feb. 11, 2008, at the age of 92. She was born June 2, 1915, in Unity, Maine, the sixth out of fifteen children of parents, Martin and May (Stearns) Nickless. On June 15, 1934, she married Harold S. Morse of Palermo, Maine. They were married for over 64 years until his death in 1998. A true survivor, Delsie weathered the great ice storm of ‘98 alone in her home in Gardiner only to narrowly escape from a fire that destroyed her home on April 1, 2002. Delsie will always be remembered by friends and family as being a character – full of life, giving love, telling jokes and spreading laughter to everyone. Later she moved to Dionne Commons in Brunswick where she resided with her 2nd husband, Weston Rice of Boothbay Harbor, ME until 2006. She is survived by her four children, Marlene Shaw, Gardiner, ME; Carlton Morse (wife Rosalind), Elephant Butte, New Mexico; Wayne Morse (wife Carolyn), Quincy, MA; Brian Morse, Topsham, ME; her son-in-law Forrest Powell, Oakland, ME; and her daughter-in-law Judy Morse, Bowdoinham, ME; her brother, Vernon Nickless, Crestline, California; 16 grandchildren, 41 great-grandchildren and 4 great- great-grandchildren as well as many nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her beloved husband Harold S. Morse daughter Mildred Powell of Oakland, ME, and her son-in-law Leo Shaw of Gardiner, ME.

In addition to being a wife and mother, she was a hard worker her entire life having been employed by Maine Co.'s Hathaway Shirt Factory, Waterville; Lipman's Poultry, Augusta; Hillcrest Poultry, Lewiston and Stevens Training Center in Hallowell as a cook. In 1971 she and her husband retired from Cole-Hersey, South Boston, MA and moved to Gardiner. Together, she and her late husband, Harold Morse made over 700 Embroidered Rag dolls that they sold at flea markets. She was a Christian, and along with her family, had owned a cottage at the Maine District Church of the Nazarene Campgrounds in Richmond, Maine, where they loved attending the camp meetings and taking vacations at their cottage. She was a member of The Church of the Nazarene, Gardiner, Maine for over 30 years.

A Memorial Service will be held at the First Church of the Nazarene Main St. Bowdoinham on Saturday, February 16th at 2pm. Spring interment will be in the family lot at Smith Cemetery, Palermo, Maine. In lieu of flowers, donations in Delsie's memory may be given to the First Church of the Nazarene Main St. Bowdoinham, Me 04008 or Health Reach Hospice Dresden Ave. Gardiner, Me 04345.