Wilma Gould Johnson is a neighbor you may never meet. You probably will not run into her at Hannaford or any other local store because she has not lived in town for almost 60 years. But if you are a regular reader of the Gorham Times, you will recognize her work. While Wilma no longer lives here, she is still actively involved in the Gorham community as she works to preserve its history through her Remember When articles which she began writing in January of 2018. She receives many fan emails from readers of the paper.
History matters to Wilma. She is passionate about saving it and does so by contributing amazingly detailed histories and photos of life inGorham from the early to mid 20th century. She believes that a shared history helps to build strong bonds and community pride. It is also how Wilma honors her mother and grandfather who also shared a love of history. Their meticulously labeled journals, photos and news-clippings form the bedrock of Wilma’s articles, along with helpful posts from members of You Know You’re From Gorham When Facebook Page. Wilma said, “I am grateful to my grandfather and my mother for all of the history and information that they collected over the years, most of which has been passed on to me.” In time, she plans to share this wealth of history with the Gorham Historical Society.
A friend once described her by saying, “You can take Wilma out of Gorham, but you can’t take Gorham out of Wilma.” Wilma considers that to be high praise and also very true.
Born and raised here, Wilma is the daughter of Frank and Jeanette Gould and the oldest grandchild of George and Velma Mitsmenn. She grew up in a house on Church Street, surrounded by her extended family of grandparents, aunts and uncles, and Mitsmenn cousins. A member of the class of GHS 1962, Wilma married her high school sweetheart, Samuel Johnson, in 1964. They moved to Connecticut where Sam was an Industrial Arts teacher but they happily returned to live in Eliot, Maine in 1970 and have lived there ever since. Interestingly, Wilma shared that there is a strong family history of long, happy marriages and also of marrying childhood or high school sweethearts.
Wilma does return to Gorham, occasionally. Her younger brother, Bob Gould and wife Barbara, still reside here, and when Covid ends, Wilma is looking forward to getting together with her High School group of friends dubbed the Girls of ’62. She said, “There were about 12 of us, some of whom have known each other since grade school. We have different backgrounds and different views, but we still stick together.” Wilma is a good friend, kind and steadfast. She credits Martha Harris with bringing the group back together after their 40th reunion. “Although we lost dear Martha, we have stayed together ever since,” she said.
Photo credit Wilma Gould JohnsonWilma Gould Johnson, an avid nature photographer, captures a beautiful cardinal in the snow.
In addition to writing for the Gorham Times, Wilma is an avid bird watcher and outstanding nature photographer. A number of her exquisite photos have graced the pages of the Gorham Times. Wilma credits Martha Harris, a founding member and original photographer for the Gorham Times, for helping her to become a photographer. Her other hobbies include gardening, enjoying nature, walking on the beach and spending many happy summers at a family camp on Bonny Eagle Pond.
Wilma and Sam have two daughters and four grandchildren. Their oldest daughter lives in Fort Fairfield, Maine and they have one son. The youngest daughter lives in Windham and they have three daughters.
Wilma can be reached at iamwilma@comcast.net.