Obituary

Christine H. Winchenbach Clifford

Mon, 11/17/2014 - 4:15pm

Christine H. Winchenbach Clifford, 97, died Nov. 8, 2014 peacefully in her sleep at Hospice Haven Care Center in Gainesville, Florida.

Christine was born in West Waldoboro to Chester A. Winchenbach and Carrie Evelyn (Cushman) Winchenbach on June 6, 1917.

Her first name was actually Henrietta but she was always known as Christine. Later on in life she made it her legal first name. She graduated from Waldoboro High School in 1934.

She married Alfred B. Clifford of Round Pond in 1937 and they raised three girls and two boys, Nancy, Josephine, Evelyn, Roger and David. They moved to East Boothbay in 1947 and they ran Clifford’s Wharf that sold fish, clams and lobsters, and served shore dinners in the Pilot House. Christine was the cook, waitress, and jack-of-all-trades there. She worked as a waitress and a cook at The Forest House for many years until it closed. She also worked in a fish factory in Boothbay Harbor. Her final job was a cook for the East Boothbay Elementary School until her retirement. She was a member of the East Boothbay Methodist Church and served as president of the East Boothbay Women Group of the church.

She and her husband moved to North Waldoboro after her husband retired from Bath Iron Works. They spent their summers at their camp on Moosehead Lake, and their winters in Jacksonville, Florida. They both were ardent bingo players and enjoyed traveling to a lot of different places to play in Maine.

Alfred and Christine both enjoyed fishing and hunting. They liked to play Spite and Malice with their friends and family. They were known to take over a dance floor.

Christine’s husband died in 1984. She then moved in with her daughter Josephine Hinds in South Waldoboro and later with her daughter Evelyn Heidenreich in Gainesville, Florida. She was a member of the Senior Citizens of Waldoboro, and the Helping Hand Club of Waldoboro. She always remained a true Mainer. She was a good homemaker and loving mother and grandmother. She was known by all as “Nana.” She worked hard all of her life.

Christine was predeceased by her husband, Alfred B. Clifford; parents, Chester and Carrie Winchenbach; sisters, Priscilla Poland, Francis Swan and Grace Simmons; brothers, Robert, Gideon, Russell, Warren, Addison, Floyd, Harold and Millard Winchenbach; daughter, Josephine Hinds; and grandson, Nick West.

She is survived by her brother, Carlton Winchenbach of California; daughters, Nancy Gorden of Waldoboro and Evelyn Heidenreich of Gainesville, Florida; sons, Roger Clifford and wife Betsy of Englewood, Florida, and David Clifford and wife Cecile of Boothbay; grandsons, Kevin Brewer, Michael Brewer and wife Michelle of Waldoboro, William Heidenreich and wife Kelly of Charleston, West Virginia, Timothy Brewer and wife Donna of Nobleboro, David Clifford and wife Laurie of Edgecomb, Joel Clifford and wife Kim of Mashpee, Massachusetts, Stephen Clifford and wife Camille of Portland, and Johnny Simmons and wife Stephanie of Waldoboro; granddaughters, Deborah Barnes of Newcastle, Lari-Ann Beaucage and husband Richard of Waldoboro, Teresa Hall and husband Eddie of Machiasport, Sarah Marcotte of Mashpee, Massachusetts, and Pamela Teel of Rockland; 23 great-grandchildren; 18 great-great-grandchildren; numerous nephews and nieces; and sister-in-law, Gerry Winchenbach of Waldoboro.

A committal service to celebrate Christine’s life will be in the summer.