Maine news, sports, weather | Kennebec Journal, Augusta, Maine

Participants puzzled at Vienna event

By Mechele Cooper mcooper@centralmaine.com
Staff Writer

VIENNA -- Gloria Kelley's gnarled fingers sorted through puzzle pieces that were laid out on a table Saturday at the Mill Stream Grange.

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Mirjam Wood searches for a piece to fit into the edge she is working on during a puzzle event on Saturday morning at Mill Spring Grange in Vienna.

Staff photo by Joe Phelan

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Gloria Kelley fits edge pieces together during a puzzle event on Saturday morning at Mill Spring Grange in Vienna.

Staff photo by Joe Phelan

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For the past three years, the Vienna Historical Society has given people in the community an opportunity to fend off winter blues by assembling the small, often oddly shaped, interlocking jigsaw pieces together as a group.

Puzzles are a favorite pastime of the 83-year-old Kelley, a Vienna resident. The hobby helped her through a sad time, the loss of her husband, Edwin, to whom she had been married for 67 years.

Kelley's approach to building a puzzle is to start by separating colors, then work on the edges.

"I love doing puzzles," Kelley said as she started to pull together an Audubon puzzle of a northern red cardinal.

"It doesn't matter what kind. I lost my husband last March and spent April and May doing puzzles, sometimes all night. I separate the colors and when I get them done, I get to the nitty gritty of the edge."

Carole O'Connell, the historical society's president, said the first time they held the event was after purchasing the residence next door to the Grange hall for their meeting house.

The former owner, Arline Waite, who passed away in 2009, left a number of puzzles behind, many of them wooden puzzles from the early 1900s. She said her group initially got together to make sure the puzzles had all their pieces before she sold them on eBay. The older ones sold for about $125, she said. Proceeds benefited the historical society.

"People just like to come out and work on puzzles," O'Connell said Saturday. "We had in the neighborhood of 25 people last year, and hopefully we'll have the same today. We try to be a service to the community and found people really enjoy doing this."

It was a little chilly in the Grange, but the women didn't seem to mind. O'Connell said historical society members had made finger sandwiches and sweets for the puzzlers.

Those who came had a variety of puzzles to chose from. Most were donated, including castles and mountain scenes, animals and an American flag.

Mirjam Wood, 82, of Vienna said she doesn't work on puzzles much, but she enjoys coming to the Grange to assemble them with friends. She first turns the pieces over and starts on the edges.

Wood said she stays away from the 1000-piece puzzles.

"I don't like the big ones," Wood said. "That's all you do for two weeks."

On another table, Beverly Smith, 80, of Vienna assembled a 500-piece Maine wildlife puzzle.

"I very seldom do these," Smith said. "It's more to get together with people, and it's something to do."

Mechele Cooper -- 623-3811, ext. 408

mcooper@centralmaine.com