WALDOBORO — M. Angela Ben, 84, of Waldoboro died October 17, 2017 at the Cushing Homestead in Cushing. Angela was born October 2, 1933, in Columbia, South America. She was the youngest of 7 children born to Thomas Cardenas & Josepha Caceres. As a teenager, Angela went in search of change and a new life in Caracas, Venezuela.

She worked for a small company that manufactured aluminum doors and windows. In 1958, Angela met Jaime Ben Martinez, and within three months, they married. The next year, with the help of a dear friend, they immigrated to the United States and made their home in New York City. Although they enjoyed New York City, they wished for their own home and began a search for a home with lots of land in a place where they could work and raise a family. They found that home in North Waldoboro. At the first farm they purchased, they raised laying hens, but soon purchased a larger farm next door where they raised their two children, Jaime and Joan.

They built and ran a large chicken house, raised beef cattle and their farm from time to time included pigs, sheep and turkeys. They later ran a successful sawmill business cutting mostly white pine and hemlock. In addition to working on the family farm, Angela worked outside the home at Sylvania, the Button Factory, Medomak Canning Company, as well as the fish factories that operated in the mid-coast in the 70's and 80's'. After moving from the family farm, Angela travelled to and from Spain where she made a home with her second husband, Pablo. Angela was an avid gardener and she and Pablo raised many vegetables. Angela also enjoyed walking, being in the company of her dear friends, loved to read, listen to music, share a story, cook for her family and crochet (she would often make a project just from looking at the picture). Her greatest joy was spending time with her grandchildren, Quinton, Vincent, Isabel and Lillie, who brought her much joy and made her laugh - a lot! Angela is survived by her grandchildren, Lillie Ben, Isabel Ben, Vincent Vannah and Quinton Vannah, daughter and son-in-law Joan and Mark Vannah, and son Jaime Ben and his companion Kim Lewis-Lash.

Friends are welcome to join the family for a time of visitation from 5 to 7 p.m. on October 23rd at the Hall Funeral Home, 949 Main Street in Waldoboro. The service to celebrate Angela's life will be held at 11 a.m. on October 24th at the Hall Funeral Home in Waldoboro with Merle Beale officiating. Burial will follow in the Brookland Cemetery in Waldoboro. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Breast Cancer Research Foundation, 60 East 56th St., 8th Fl., New York, NY 10022, or online at www.bcrfcure.org

You are welcome to share condolences with the family at www.hallfuneralhomes.com

Arrangements are entrusted to Hall's of Waldoboro.