TENANTS HARBOR – Frances R. Colson, 91, died Thursday, December 14, 2017, surrounded by her family at the Knox Center in Rockland. Born in Long Cove, St. George, June 6, 1926, she was the eldest of four children of Stanley and Elsa Hendrixson Carlson. She attended St. George Schools, graduating with the class of 1945.

January 1, 1947, Frances married Ralph E. 'Bud' Colson in Rockland.

Frances worked at Port Clyde Packing Company and Green Island Packing Company, both in Rockland. Years later she became the owner of Seagull Lunch on Tilson Avenue in Rockland. Later she turned that establishment into a shrimp plant, where she employed 30 workers processing shrimp. After that she became the owner of Long Cove Lobster. In that business, Frances and her nephew, Stanley Carlson, transported lobsters from Bass Harbor to Portland. Following that, she went on to drive for Coastal Trans, where she escorted patients to and from their cancer therapy appointments.

Frances thoroughly enjoyed her trips to many different casinos. She also loved her friendships with Bill Cummings Lobster Co., Nathan Fuller, Martha Flint at Key Bank and her neighbors, David and Carol Emery, Mike and Melly Gero, Clara Reed, Astrid Weaver and Dagmar Robbins.

Other than her parents, Frances was pre-deceased by her nephew Stanley Carlson, who she considered as a son. She is survived by her husband of 70 years, Ralph E. 'Bud' Colson of Tenants Harbor; a sister, Nancy Thibodeau of Friendship; several nieces and nephews including, Richard Carlson, his wife Holly and their son Shawn, Brice Carlson, his wife and children, Dale Carlson, Denise Carlson Morris and her three children, Gary Thibodeau, his sons Steven Cowan and Adam Thibodeau, Nathan Thibodeau, his wife Heidi and their two children, Renee Thibodeau Tainter and her children, Wanda Ausplund, her husband David and their children.

Friends and relatives are invited to visit from 5:00pm to 7:00pm, Wednesday, December 20, 2017 at Burpee, Carpenter & Hutchins Funeral Home, 110 Limerock Street, Rockland, where a funeral service will be held at 1:00pm, Thursday, December 21st. Pastor William Hickey will officiate. A reception will follow at the funeral home's 104 Limerock reception center. Spring interment will be in Seaside Cemetery, Tenants Harbor.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the St. George Firefighters and Ambulance Association, P.O. Box 249, Tenants Harbor, ME 04860. To share a memory or story with Frances' family, please visit their online Book of Memories at www.bchfh.com.