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The Olive Tree |
Frances Caroline Lubanda Hartgen, 93, longtime Orono resident and wife of the
late professor and artist Vincent Hartgen, died Saturday, Nov. 11, 2006, at
Dirigo Pines Retirement Center. Frances was born Oct. 4, 1913, in Reading, Pa.,
the only daughter of Frank and Caroline "Carrie" (Kelchner) Lubanda. She was
named for them both. In April of this year, at age 92, she published a memoir of
her years in Orono and at the University of Maine, where she served as the
Fogler Library's first director of special collections and later as director of
public services. After graduation from Reading High School in 1932, she worked
her way through Syracuse University, graduating in 1937 with a degree in English
and education. She and Vincent were married July 6, 1940 and she then taught
school in Washingtonville, N.Y., while Vincent finished graduate studies at the
University of Pennsylvania. During World War II, they lived in Baltimore, Md.,
where Frances worked in a bookshop, which further expanded her love of
literature and language. Their twin sons, David and Stephen, where born there in
1944. The couple moved to Orono in 1946, after completion of Vincent's military
service. Frances was a junior high English teacher in Old Town and Orono schools
from 1952 to 1967. In 1967, she returned to coursework at the University,
completing graduate work in library science and education. This earned her a
position at the Fogler Library of the University of Maine. She remained at
Fogler until her retirement in 1982.
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