YARMOUTH - Sarah Elizabeth (Betty) Drouin, 79, of Yarmouth, passed away on Saturday, June 11, 2005 in Brunswick with her sister, Mina Miles and niece, Jane Miles at her side.Betty lived the past six years with her niece Jane Miles and her husband Robert Miles on Ledge Road in Yarmouth.She was born Dec. 16, 1925, a daughter of John Robert and Ermina Estelle Trott Miller and attended schools in Portland and South Portland.At the age of 17 she worked in the lunch room outside of the South Portland Shipyard. She also was a waitress at the Splendid Restaurant in Portland and for a short time she even owned her own restaurant in Portland. She also was employed the by the United Cigar Drug Store on the corner of Preble and Congress Street.She moved to Connecticut in 1950 doing waitress work in a diner in Hartford. She moved to East Hartford and worked for Pratt and Whitney for five years. Betty returned to Maine in 1959 and worked in the Uniform Laundry and Herman Shoe Company.She and her husband took care of foster children, mostly children who were abused. Over 8 years time, she cared for about 38 children and loved each and everyone like they were her own. That was the most rewarding time in her life.She loved going to Bingo, crocheting and knitting for all her family and friends. Her favorite day of the week was Wednesday when her special niece Vanessa would take her faithfully to Cole Farms for lunch and then shopping. She loved spending time with her family and her special friend, Janet Day.During her years in Connecticut she made very special friends which still kept in touch with her. Cathy Lyman and Pat Syluski refer to her as Mom, 'the very special person who always took care of and nurtured anyone who was in need.'She was predeceased by her husband, Louis Drouin; two brothers, Robert and George Miller; and two sisters, Alice Shaw and Helen King.She is survived by a sister, Mina Miles of Yarmouth; a son, Ralph Drouin of Gray; three grandchildren, Jennifer, Lisa and Danielle; a great-granddaughter, Hope Marie Hincks of New Gloucester; and many nieces and nephews.Visiting hours will be held Wednesday, June 15, from 1-2 p.m. at the Hobbs Funeral Home, 230 Cottage Rd., South Portland. Funeral services will follow at 2 p.m. Interment will be at Brooklawn. -- YARMOUTH - In all of the pictures, Betty Drouin is never alone.There are always nieces and nephews, friends, her husband or any one of the dozens of foster children taken into the Drouin home."She loved parties and being around people and just enjoyed the family," said a niece, Jane Miles of Yarmouth.Sarah Elizabeth Drouin, known to everyone as Betty, died Saturday. She was 79.Miles, who opened up her home six years ago to Mrs. Drouin, was preparing a photo collage for her funeral. The albums offered up stories of the past, Miles said."We shared a lot of laughs," she said. "I could always talk to her. Her body was weak, but her mind was very strong."At 17, Mrs. Drouin took a job serving lunch to shipyard workers in South Portland because she needed to help her family earn money. Then she worked at the Splendid Restaurant in Portland and later owned a restaurant for a few years. Customers got to know Mrs. Drouin as a patient, caring woman.In the 1950s, with her husband Louis Drouin, she began taking in foster children."They were taken out of very abusive homes," Miles said. "She would take them until they healed, sometimes physically and sometimes mentally."Miles recalled one child that was crippled from beatings by his birth mother. By the time he left Mrs. Drouin, he was walking with small canes and was adopted by a doctor. Over the years the couple took in nearly 40 children. Mrs. Drouin cherished the stack of their school photos and report cards."No matter who came to her door, no matter when they called, she never ever said there was too many," Miles said. "It might have been for three hours and it might have been for three years."Mrs. Drouin and her husband enjoyed going to dances at grange halls nearly every Saturday in the 1960s. She made it to pretty much every family celebration, whether it was a bridal shower, a graduation or a Christmas party.She loved crocheting and knitting, which came in handy in her later years. Miles told her about the Gifts of the Heart program run by the family church. People made sweater sets for needy babies. Mrs. Drouin made about eight in only three weeks. And in the past few years, there was nobody she loved more than Red Sox outfielder Johnny Damon. Even though she could hardly see the television, she would scoot her chair right up close when Damon came to the plate. She watched every playoff game."She watched them until 1 o'clock in the morning," Miles said, "and of course, she hated the damn Yankees."