Lyda Moore Banton

Born: March 27, 1893 in Quebec, Canada
Died: January 18, 1997
Buried:

When Lyda Banton passed away in 1997, she had lived a long and full life. It all began in the early spring of 1893 in Jersey Mills, Quebec, fifty-six miles from the town of Jackman, Maine. It was in Jackman that she began school, and she graduated from Bangor High School in 1911. Like many young people interested in pursuing a career in the field of education, Lyda attended a normal school, this one in Castine, on the site of what is now Maine Maritime Academy. At that time, it was not necessary to have a Bachelor’s degree to teach in Maine.

Before her marriage, Lyda taught in several schools. In 1921, she and her husband moved to Island Falls where Dr. Leon Banton took over a medical practice from Dr. Bigelow. The couple raised their son, George, and daughter, Gail. And Mrs. Banton was very involved in community organizations, including Whittier Congregational Church, Pine Needle Club, and the Maine Teachers’ Association.

In 1931, Dr. Banton, age 37, died unexpectedly while under anesthesia during a dental procedure. The young widow, and mother of two young children, found herself in uncharted waters. She remained in Island Falls. After her children were grown, she taught at the junior high school in Town.

Educational requirements for teachers in Maine were changing and many people who had graduated from normal school discovered they had to return to college and obtain a Bachelor’s degree in order to continue to teach. And Lyda did just that, getting her degree from the University of Maine at Orono when she was 63 years old. She continued teaching at Island Falls Junior High School for a total of eighteen years.

After retirement, she continued with her adventures. She completed an eight-week tour of Europe when she was in her 70s. One of her granddaughters recalled that she was a loyal fan of Jack LaLanne, known in the 1950’s and 1960’s to millions of Americans as a fitness and nutrition guru. Perhaps Lyda was onto something. After all, she lived to be 103.