7928-R5_NewGloucester_2020-2021_AnnualReport_Web

Dedication of the Town Report Wallace E. Bragdon Jr.

Many years ago, the New Gloucester Post Office was located in Lower Village just below the Village Store, in a small building that is now a private home. When anyone speaks of the old post office, one name comes to mind immediately and that is Wallace “Wally” Bragdon, a man who went above and beyond serving the town as Postmaster for 21 years. He had a wealth of knowledge about the town and knew everyone and where they lived. Wally always made sure the mail was delivered, even if it meant doing it himself. A phone call to the post office would be a quick and easy way to get the information you needed, in the days before Google. Wally is a lifelong resident of New Gloucester who is now age 93. He has served the town in many ways over his lifetime. In 1971, he was appointed by the select board to oversee New Gloucester’s 1974 Bicentennial celebration. He, Peter Wills and Roy Lowe over saw 12 sub- committees to deliver the large three-day event. He was a driving force through the AMVETS to bring the Veterans Monument to fruition. In 2014 Wally unveiled one of the stones at the Veterans Monument located in Upper Gloucester. Wally was one of 11 Bragdon’s that served this country between WWI and the Vietnam War. A US Army Veteran who served in the Korean War, he was one of the original members of AMVETS Post 6 and is still active to this day, 60 plus years later. Wally even served at the state level of the AMVETS in several different roles, including Commander overseeing the whole state wide organization. He remains active in the AMVETS, helping with the monthly bean suppers, with Bingo, organizing the Memorial Day Parade, and working on the annual Turkey Raffle. Before Covid, he joined fellow AMVETS on a monthly trip to the Veterans Home in Scarborough to help the residents play Bingo. Wally has been chosen as member of the year both at the local and State level of the AMVETS organization. To capture all of what he has done for the community through the AMVETS would be impossible. Wally has been honored for his work as a volunteer for local food banks. He has put in hundreds of hours at the Good Shepard Food Bank and St. Mary’s Food Bank. He and his late wife, Doris, volunteered together nearly weekly. They were admired by their fellow volunteers and the clients at the food banks for their kind and loving spirit.

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