ORRINGTON – Mrs. Thelma Bowden, 951/2, was recognized as Orrington’s eldest resident and presented with the town’s Boston Post cane at a special ceremony held on May 23.

After a description of the cane’s history given by Town Manager Carl Young and the gift of a book on the subject, Orrington Board of Selectmen chairman Howard Grover gave Mrs. Bowden a handsome walnut-and-maple replica of the cane inscribed with her name.

The original ebony-and-gold cane is on permanent display at the town office.

Selectman Christine Lavoie presented Bowden a floral arrangement on behalf of Enterprise Grange. Bowden has been a member of Enterprise Grange for nearly 80 years.

Thelma Olive Perkins, the eldest child of Raymond L. and Gladys (Hillier) Perkins, was born Oct. 5, 1911, at the family homestead on Kings’ Mountain.

She attended Orrington schools and received a diploma from Brewer High School in 1929. After graduating from the Maine School of Commerce, which later became Husson College, Bowden worked at Webber Motors, the local Ford dealership at the time.

She married Donald F. Bowden in 1934 and moved to the farm adjoining that of her parents, which Mr. Bowden had purchased in 1932. They farmed for many years, raising dairy cows and beef cattle, vegetable crops, apples, wood products and six sons.

In later years Thelma and Donald delivered apples and their homemade cider to customers along a route that extended as far as Bradley, Milford and Old Town.

Mrs. Bowden was active in both the Orrington Center and the Orrington Corner Methodist churches, and those who attended church suppers remember her biscuits and pies.

Mrs. Bowden’s father-in-law, the late Ernest F. Bowden, also of Kings’ Mountain, held the Boston Post cane some 25 years ago.

Mrs. Bowden’s children are Richard and wife Charlene of Eddington; Philip and wife Nancy of Savannah, Ga.; Paul and wife Patricia of Gales Ferry, Conn.; Barry and wife Dinah of Pisgah Forest, N.C.; Brian and wife Darlene of Orrington; and Keith and wife Heather of Windham. She also has 11 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.

The 24 attendees at the ceremony included her brother, three of her children, grandchildren, relatives, friends and town officials who congratulated Mrs. Bowden on being a resident of Orrington for all her 951/2 years.