Phebe Sweatt Obituary (1925 - 2014)

Augusta, Maine Phebe Sweatt, formerly of Essex, NY and recently, West Gardiner, Maine passed away peacefully on December 9, 2014. Phebe was born in Brooklyn, NY to the late Benjamin Morse and Lydia (Hayward) Morse on June 7, 1925. When she was 2 years old her family moved back to Essex where she resided for 82 years until moving to Maine to live with her daughter and son-in-law. Phebe held many jobs during her lifetime including working on a comptometer at General Electric in Albany NY during WWII, and more recently at Cable Communications, Willsboro NY. She was most proud of her 32 year career with the United State Post Office. She retired as the Essex, NY Postmaster in 1987. In 1946 she married her first husband, Orren (Tiny) MacDougal and in 1979 married her second husband, Lester (Bud) Sweatt. Both predeceased her. Phebe had many interests. She was a talented knitter and made her family beautiful sweaters and socks for years. She loved music, dancing, and especially listening to the tunes from the 1940s. She was an avid gardener and enjoyed planting beautiful combinations of flowers and plants in her many flower beds. Phebe and Bud loved to travel and in their own words were fortunate to visit many places in the USA as well as Canada and Mexico. Phebe adored animals, especially cats, and never turned one away. Many will remember the wildlife that she also befriended, and often times having to wait for a skunk to leave a feeding dish beside the door before going outside to get into your car. Phebes most treasured moments were when she could gather all her and Buds children and grandchildren together as a family. For several years they would rent a big house in the North Carolina Outer Banks and get all together to share good times. Thanksgiving and Christmas were also favorite times for her to gather the family together. At Thanksgiving, if Phebe knew of someone who was without a family on that day she would set a place at her table and invite them. Phebe was devoted to her faith and very active in her membership at the Essex Community Church where she was a regular attendee on Sunday mornings. Phebe sang in the choir for many years, sat on the board and worked in whatever capacity the church community needed. She was a proud, unashamed Christian and believed in and worshiped Christ. She is survived by one sister and her husband, Carol Sue (Paul) Rosenberg of Chapel Hill, NC, two sons and their wives, Greg MacDougal (Nadine) of Midway, GA, Bob MacDougal (Beth) of Clemmons, NC and two daughters, Cheri Weston (Carl) of West Gardiner, ME and Bonnie MacDougal of Orlando, FL as well as a step-son George Bucky Sweatt (Karen), step-daughter, Susie Drinkwine (John), 17 grandchildren and 31 great grandchildren as well as numerous loving nieces and nephews. A memorial service will be held at the Essex Community Church in Essex, NY in the spring at the convenience of the family. Donations in Phebes memory can be given to the Alzheimers Association in your area, your local humane society or The Essex Community Church.