Margaret “Peg” Elizabeth (Drinkwater) Miller was born Nov. 15, 1924 fifth child and only daughter of Grover C. and Cora L (Gray) Drinkwater on Vancycle Road, Lincolnville. Ever doted on by her big brothers, she enjoyed a happy childhood on the family farm.

She attended Heal School, Searsport High School and graduated from Crosby High School. As an adult she returned to school to master cake decorating, advanced knitting, ceramics and acrylic painting.

“Peg” married “the boy next door,” Raymond A. Miller, Feb. 8, l942. They had Nancy E. Heald, Patricia M. Jackson (Ray) McNinch and Robert Leigh Miller II.

Together they helped farm his parent’s farm while he worked out as a master plumber and electrician and Peg sewed for Philippine Art Craft, made pine wreaths, had a roadside stand, cleaned the cottages, made many of the families clothes and preserved garden produce and wild berries.

She was a 4H leader, helped start the 1950s school band and as 1940s Lincolnville Band member was able to sit in with dad to practice band music with us. Supported the children’s tap and ballet lessons, lead the local Ground Observer Corps, drove for the 4H members to collect for polio, cancer and heart funds for so long people just gave us a dollar when they saw us coming. Helped with the concession with Ray, her brother Lloyd and his wife Grace at the Blue Goose on Saturday nights and had the student minister to supper on Sunday before he took us girls to youth fellowship. She helped compile the list of shut-ins for youth fellowship caroling, escorted us to the houses and served hot chocolate after.

As an empty nester, a number of years she had afterschool child care and Ray and Peg ran a commercial greenhouse. She began making quilts, knit goods, ceramics and other crafts and joined Waldo County Arts and Crafts and United Maine Crafters. She and Ray attended many craft shows.

After a number of years on the craft circuit they teamed up with friends and fellow crafters Fran and Al Armington, Bob and Grace Langlotz, Larry Wagner, and Ray and Angie Towle to operate their cooperative store, “No Necessities,” in E. Belfast. In retirement they opened their own shop, Pitcher Pond Crafts, in their refurbished barn.

Many Januaries they hosted the Annual Extended Family Ice Fishing Party at ‘Hodge Podge’ — a lot of people, food and mittens. Later she produced an annual show for local crafters at LIA now LHS Museum.

She was an active member of Pitcher Pond Association and official ‘ice out reporter.’ Member of Lincolnville Improvement Association, The Women’s Club, UCC church at the Center and started the ongoing Strawberry Festival and parade where she proudly wore her ‘Strawberry’ tee shirt and was parade marshal at end of her ability to participate, worked on Blueberry Wing Ding, Old Timer’s Luncheon at the lobster Pound, Crosby Alumnae program, Triad, Founder’s Weekend, bean suppers, bake sales and was a long time ballot clerk and vocal town meeting participant.

She was instrumental in having the ‘2 fers’ paint town public interiors. She was a member of ‘Sea Gal’ chapter of the Red Hat Society. She played the flirty secretary in Rosie Gerry’s dinner theater fund raiser “Bea’ Trail”. Many of these things she worked beside her longtime friends Barbara [Johnson] Tarintino and Ruth [Nickerson] Felton who laughingly referred to themselves as the ‘Lincolnville Mafia.’

She was the Rockport, Camden. Lincolnville, Chamber of Commerce “1998 Town Person of the Year.” At the time of her death, Feb 1, 2024, at age 99, she was the holder of the Lincolnville Boston Post Cane.

She was predeceased by her parents; husband Ray, son Robert Leigh II; brothers Ralph, Harold (Beulah, Evelyn), Clarence (Lydia) and Lloyd (Phyllis, Grace) Drinkwater; niece Jane Ann Hall and nephews William, Darrell and George Drinkwater; and brother-in-law Norman Miller and sister-in-law Dorothy Overlock.

She is survived by daughters Nancy E. Heald of Lincolnville and Patricia M. Jackson [Ray] McNinch of Brewer, and ‘summer son’ Newell F. Tillman of Westford, Massachusetts. Grandchildren: Lisa L. Jackson, Leigh P.[Kimberly] Jackson, Donald R, [Karrie] Heald IV, Jennifer E.[Joshua] Couch of Akron, Ohio, Travis A, [Tanya] Heald.

Great-grandchildren: Taqqiya Ronco of Chattanooga, Tennessee; Lateefa [Jared] Cook of Monticello, Maine, Yusuf (fiancée Adrara) Ronco of Metairie, Louisiana. Avery (girlfriend Bianca) Heald, Aubrey Heald and Aithen Heald both of Austin, Texas, Aaron Heald, Jacqueline Couch and Lydia Couch both of Akron, Ohio, Zoe Heald, Zia Heald. Great-great-grand-daughters: River and Maple Cook of Monticello, Maine. Nephews: Kenard, Stanley, James and Peter Drinkwater. Nieces: Ramona Graves, Jean Cross of New Hampshire, Pamela Ward and Debra Breton.

June 2, 2024, 2:30 p.m., burial at Hills Cemetery, Vancycle Rd, Lincolnville. Please car-pool. Reception to follow at the Community Building, Lincolnville Center, Maine. Friend and neighbor Pastor [TJ] Mack officiating.