FREEPORT -- Emma Lucille Peaslee Morrison passed on Feb. 10, 2011, at age of 83 with her family holding her tight.She was born in Rockland on Oct. 8, 1927, the daughter of Edward and Evelyn (Gonia) Peaslee.Her summers were spent at her family's cottage, built by her great-grandfather in 1896 on Dogfish Head in West Southport. She enjoyed learning to sail at the yacht club at Cozy Harbor and the dances there on Saturday night. An avid musician and singer, she and her mom entertained the USO troops at the Community Club in Rockland, with piano, accordion, violin, singing and dancing.Emma Lou moved to Augusta in 1943. She designed and made many of her clothes, played violin in the high school orchestra, enjoyed being in school plays, loved physics and botany classes, and graduated from Cony High School in 1946. She did postgraduate work at Kents Hill School, where she enjoyed skiing and figure skating. She was a junior camp counselor at the Pine Tree Camp for Crippled Children. She went on to attend Bates College and the Manchester Institute of Art and Sciences in Concord, N.H. While in school, she became an instructor for the local Singer Sewing Machine Co. and posed as a life model for art classes. She studied handicrafts in summer school in Tennessee, learning to weave and work with leather and pottery. She married Ralph L. "Barney" Morrison in 1949. They belonged to the Winthrop Street Universalist Church, Augusta, where she was active in the Julia Robinson, Murray Alliance and Winchester Clubs, as well as teaching kindergarten Sunday school, while her five children were growing up. She was a Brownie and Girl Scout leader for troops at Farrington Elementary School in Augusta. At weddings and special occasions, Emma Lou and Barney were always the first on the dance floor.After her children were grown, she taught knitting and crocheting at Where It's At, a craft shop, and in her dining room in Augusta during the '70s and '80s. She and Ralph owned B & E Seafood Wholesalers for a number of years. She was proprietor of Barney's Work Gloves, Augusta, when Ralph, her husband of 40 years, died very unexpectedly on Jan. 1, 1990. She belonged to the Rose of Sharon Chapter 13, Order of the Eastern Star, American Legion Auxiliary Post 2 and local women's bowling leagues, all of Augusta.She married Malcolm E. Farr of Manchester in 1991.They wintered in Zephyrhills, Fla., where she became a member of the Ladies Oriental Shrine of North America-Cairo Court 97. As a member, she performed at various nursing homes and hospitals with their clown unit. She also became a member of the Manchester Community Church in 1993. In Manchester, she loved working in the garden and helping Malcolm raise huge pumpkins. In the spring of 2002, Emma Lou came to live in Boothbay with her daughter Linda. She loved to care for her cat, Hannah. While living in the Boothbay area, she was active in the Senior Citizens Club, Y Coastal Club, Methodist church craft meetings, charity knitting at Willow's end and folk dance classes through the Y. An avid artist, she and her daughter, Linda, would sometimes go to St. Andrew's Village to share their joy of fingerpainting with the residents; one time even her physician, Dr. Andre Benoit Jr., came to join the class, which pleased her beyond words. She loved to go on rides, especially to Ocean Point, when the Monarch butterflies were passing through, or just to hear the song of the gulls or whisper of the waves.When Alzheimer's set in, son-in-law Ted Wacholtz's degree in recreation therapy became very helpful and allowed her to stay at home longer as a result. Miles Hospital Hospice, Spectrum Generations, the staff at St. Andrew's Hospital and Family Care Center were very helpful, as well as the local respite providers. When she started to wander, she moved to a very safe and caring home, The Hawthorne House, in Freeport. While at her new home, she enjoyed being in talent shows, singing, harmonizing, dancing, humming, and all the other wonderful activities. Beacon Hospice and all the staff and volunteers at Hawthorne House; her dentist, Dr. Greg Albert; his hygienist Jane Tims; and the staff at Maine Medical Center showered Emma Lou with attention and love the last few years. She loved watching the pumpkins and sunflowers grow outside her window, watching the birds soar and sitting in the gazebo on sunny days. She also enjoyed having her relatives, family friends and the family dog, Tia, a Shetland sheepdog, visit with her. She will be sadly missed by her children, Linda Wacholtz and her husband, Ted, of Boothbay; Ralph Morrison Jr. and his wife, Christine, of Westbrook; Melvin Morrison of Farmingdale; Gary Morrison and his wife, Kristine, of Waltham, Mass.; and Brian J. Morrison and his wife, Sherry, of Westbrook. Her grandchildren are Benjamin, Nathan and Lucas Morrison of Westbrook; Sara Rosen and her husband, Eric Salzman, of New York City; Johanna Stickney and her husband, Norman, of Gardiner; Andrew Morrison of Brookline, Mass.; Andrew Rosen of Biloxi, Miss., and Boothbay; Tom Morrison of Augusta and Brunswick; and Samuel and Carter Morrison of Westbrook. She also is survived by stepgrandsons Eric Blackwelder, Westfield, Mass., and Nathan Blackwelder, Leesburg, Va.; stepgreat-grandchildren Jeremy, Elizabeth and Emily Blackwelder, Westfield, Mass., and great-granddaughters Molly and Abbie Stickney, Gardiner. Emma also leaves three nephews, Peter Swallow of Bangor, Greg Swallow of Hodgdon and Forman Swallow of Houlton; and brother-in-law "Mike" Lewis Swallow of Oakfield.She will be cremated and then interred at the Maine Veteran's Memorial Cemetery, Augusta.A celebration of her life will be held at the Augusta Unitarian Universalist Church, 69 Winthrop St., Augusta, on Saturday, March 12 at 11a.m.To remember Emma Lou, you may donate to the ;(function() { var adKeyValue = 't='; adKeyValue+= escape('clio=ALZ'); adKeyValue += escape('&cobrand=MaineToday-CentralMaine'); adKeyValue += escape('&linktext=Alzheimer\'s Association'); adKeyValue += escape('&linkurl=https://act.alz.org/site/Donation2?df_id=5080&5080.donation=form1&set.TributeType=MEMORIAL&set.custom.honoree_name=Emma Morrison&set.TributeMessage=A+gift+has+been+made+in+remembrance+of+Emma Morrison'); adKeyValue += escape('&fn=Emma'); adKeyValue += escape('&ln=Morrison'); var adClkUrl = 'http://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?iu=/423686928/prod/obit-aff/obit-standard/clio-inline-1&' + adKeyValue + '&sz=1x1&c=1736893640'; var adImpUrl = 'http://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ad?iu=/423686928/prod/obit-aff/obit-standard/clio-inline-1&' + adKeyValue + '&sz=1x1&c=1736893640'; document.write("<a href='" + adClkUrl + "' target=_blank>Alzheimer\'s Association<" + 'img' + " src='" + adImpUrl + "' style='width=1px; height=1px; display:inline;' /></a>"); }());, 170 U.S. Route 1, Falmouth, ME 04105-2154; St. Andrews Hospital, 6 St. Andrews Lane, Boothbay Harbor, ME 04538; or the Universalist Community Church in Augusta; or share some time or favorite activity with someone in need, in her memory.Arrangements are in the care of Knowlton and Hewins Funeral Home, 1 Church St., Augusta. Condolences may be sent to the family through www.khrfuneralhomes.com.