Heaven embraced Meredith Evelyn Cress-Vashon (Haney) on March 23rd in Tarboro North Carolina. Born on October 14, 1930, in Waterville Maine, Meredith was the fourth of 7 children of James Everett and Susan Maria Haney (Boles) and siblings Margaret Kibbin (Haney), Albert Haney, Leroy Haney, Leslie Haney, and Hazel Spires (Haney). Her love of the land and animals started as soon as she could walk and grew throughout her life. Meredith's family were dairy farmers, raising livestock and living off the land with what they could grow. The Haney family purchased the old Pillsbury Farm in Benton in the 1940's. She would often accompany her father to Skowhegan, riding on the front fender of their old pick-up truck, to deliver tall containers of fresh milk. Meredith attended grade school in Augusta. Classmate and friend Alexander Soule, daughter of then Governor Soule, would often give her a ride to school in the Governor's limo. As a child, Meredith would roller-skate down Sand Hill in Augusta, past the fire station to Main Street. Meredith completed her education graduating from Lawrence High School in 1948 as Valedictorian and was awarded a four-year scholarship to the University of Maine. As a teen, you could find her at a local Augusta radio station playing guitar, singing, and yodeling with her brothers Albert and Roy. She was a fantastic guitar player and yodeler! As a child raised during WWII, Meredith shared stories of life in the early 1940's where windows were covered at night so no light would give location away to the enemy in case of attack. Rationing of food and gas, returning the toothpaste tube to the pharmacy to get more, and bartering to pay bills and purchase supplies. Using materials on hand, like sugar sacks and flour sacks, to make under clothes, making shoes from leather bartered, and filling one tub for all to bathe in. She had been part of the greatest generation witnessing innumerable sacrifices made during war time. Meredith met James Kenneth Cress during her senior year of High School, whom she then married in 1949. They moved to Connecticut in 1950 and purchased their first home in Windsor Locks. Meredith worked in the banking industry as a credit investigator for The Hartford Bank in West Hartford for 18 years. In February 1964, they purchased Meredith's family's dairy farm in Benton, which they named Cress-View Dairy Farm for the beautiful view of the Kennebec River across the fields. They milked 100 head of Holstein angus cows, farming 300 acres of land. Meredith worked as a bank teller in Fairfield for 15 years. Her warm smile greeted generations of families who came through her teller line. She left banking to become the Executive Secretary for William Zimba of Zimba Company, retiring in 1995. In her retirement, Benton residents could always count on Meredith's presence during annual town meetings and 30 years of State and Local elections where she served as a ballot clerk. Meredith was a volunteer for various organizations, United Way, BIA, and the MS foundation. She could be seen at many events supporting the staff and participants. Rainbow was Meredith's outlet for her brilliant seamstress skills, sewing beautiful gowns for both her daughter Susan and her granddaughters Samantha and Stephanie, as well as many other Rainbow girls. She was known far and wide in Rainbow, and loved by all, for her constant presence and support. Meredith met Roy F. Vashon on a blind date and the rest is as they say history. Together, they created a life of 25+ years filled with projects and community service from tending a huge vegetable garden donating food to the church Soup Kitchen, to landscaping with amazing flower beds around the home. Meredith loved the outdoors; the feel of the sun on her face with her hands in the earth, filled her soul. Together, they fed the birds, squirrels, and any stray animals who wandered into the backyard. They had a menagerie of feral cats they would feed and fuss over. Her favorite was Saint Peter, ultimately walking through the back door and making himself at home in her recliner. If the land made her happy, it was her grandchildren who made her heart sing. You could always expect Nana Vashon to deliver homemade cupcakes to the classroom and be in the audience during a school performance. She nurtured the love of the land to her grandchildren, including them in gardening and harvesting the crops to be donated to the community food bank and soup kitchens. Meredith's kitchen was always filled with aromas that made stomachs rumble and was often asked to make her Cherry Cheesecake or German Chocolate cake with coconut pecan frosting. Saturday night was baked beans and kielbasa night which was always accompanied by her fresh coleslaw and fluffy yeast rolls. She enjoyed sharing her cooking secrets, passing down family recipes from one generation to the next. Meredith is survived by her children Barbara Zook of Panama and her children James Randolph, John Gannon of Virginia, Megan Major (Gannon), Kenny Zook of Tennessee. Susan and husband Kurt Tidd of North Carolina and children Stephanie Getchell of Connecticut, and Samantha Getchell of Maine. Meredith is great-grandmother to 10 children and great-great-grandmother to 2. She is also survived by her brother Leslie Haney and his wife Paula of Connecticut. Meredith is predeceased by her husband Roy Vashon, and several of her siblings. A celebration of our beloved Meredith will be held Wednesday, May 3, at 11:30 a.m. at Ames Cemetery in Benton, and will be followed by a reception at the Benton Grange Hall at noon. The family encourages all who attend to come in "Blue Jeans" which was what Meredith often wore and symbolized life in the country which she so dearly loved. Arrangements are in the care of Lawry Brothers Funeral Home, 107 Main St., Fairfield where memories may be shared, and an online register book signed by visiting www.lawrybrothers.com. Click this link to view additional details about Meredith's Services, including any available live streams: https://my.gather.app/remember/meredith-vashon