Man Who Kept Gas Prices In Control In St. Albans Has Died

Hi All,

Lester Eaton who owned Lesters in St. Albans for many years and pretty much controlled what the gas price in St. Albans would be, has died at the age of 87. Lester owned Lesters up on the North End of St. Albans where there is a Go Go Gas Station now. Lester would lower his prices and everyone in St. Albans would do the same. I am sure many of you remember that. Lester used to say, I can live on making just a penny per gallon without a problem. Nobody had lower gas prices than Lester. Too bad he decided to go out of business in 1990. Maplefields tries to do the same now, but not to the extent that Lester did.

Lester M. "Jude" Eaton, Jr.
(November 23, 1920 - March 31, 2008)

Georgia - Lester M. “Jude” Eaton, Jr., 87, a longtime area resident and businessman passed away Monday morning, March 31, 2008, at the home of his daughter, Elberta, in Essex with his loving family at his side. He was born on November 23, 1920, the son of the late Lester M. and M. Elberta (Houghaboom) Eaton. Jude was married to the former Anna Reeves McGuire, who preceded him in death on October 25, 1997.

Jude served his country during World War II and was honorably discharged from the United States Marine Corps on May 3, 1946. He and his wife operated Lester’s Store on North Main Street in St. Albans for twenty-eight years, retiring on August 31, 1990. Prior to them moving to Georgia, he was associated with Pratt & Whitney in Connecticut as a machinist. Jude was an outdoors man, whether it was hunting and fishing with his sons, gardening, splitting wood or just working around the house. When they built their home on Georgia Shore, he dug the cellar hole by hand with a pick and shovel. Jude rode his bicycle from Connecticut to Vermont and swam from Georgia Shore to Savage Island. He spent his life between Vermont and Connecticut.

Survivors include his children, Lester Eaton, III and his wife, Ann of Milton; James Eaton and his wife, Janice of Milton; Elberta Bergeron and her husband, Richard of Essex and Jane Eaton of Milton, eleven grandchildren, Lara Lawrence and her husband, Greg; Megan Pederson and her husband, Jon; Jennifer Drury; Amanda Bibb and her husband, Joshua; Caleb Drury; Jesse Eaton; Ryan Eaton; Morgan Eaton; Hannah Eaton; Chad Eaton and his wife, Sheila and Ashley Eaton, ten great grandchildren, Moriah, Abigail, Samuel, Jacob, Nathanael, Olivia, Laurel, Joanna, Emma and Colin and a sister, Mila Appleby of Thousand Oaks, California. In addition to his parents and his wife, Anna, Jude was preceded in death by a brother, Elwyn Eaton and two sisters, Bertha Wheilock and Joyce Cartier.

A funeral service will be held on Thursday, April 3, 2008, at 11:00 A. M. in the Georgia Plain Baptist Church on Stone Bridge Road in Georgia with the Reverend Greg Lawrence, Pastor of Christ’s Church in Mankato, Minnesota officiating. Interment will be later this spring in Milton Borough Cemetery in Milton. Jude’s family will receive friends in the Fellowship Hall of the church following the service. Those planning an expression of sympathy are asked to consider the Palliative Care/Hospice Program, of the Visiting Nurses Association, 1110 Prim Road, Colchester, Vermont 05446 or the Ed Weed Fish Culture Station, Route 314, Grand Isle, Vermont 05458. Assisting the Eaton family is the Heald Funeral Home of St. Albans. Messages of condolence to the Eaton family are welcome at www.healdfuneralhome.com