Marie L. Devou

Biddeford

Marie L.  Devou, 79, of Biddeford, Maine and beloved wife of Robert Devou, passed away on July 16, 2026, after a brief illness. Marie was born at Postville Community Hospital, Iowa to parents, Lawrence and Irene (Feil) Gilson of Dorchester, Iowa. Marie was always proud of her German and Norwegian heritage and her Lutheran faith. During her school years, Marie was a Sunday school teacher at a Lutheran Church in Eitzen, Minnesota, where her grandparents lived, Otto and Sara Feil. Marie was raised on the family farm along with her sister Barbara and brother Jerome. After graduating from Waukon High School in Iowa, class of 1964, she moved to Lacrosse, Wisconsin and attended secretary school. This is where she met Linda Larson and the two became roommates and remained lifelong friends until Linda's passing in 2018.

In October of 1965,  after secretarial school Marie moved from Lacrosse Wisconsin to Madison Wisconsin with another roommate Carolyn. While Marie was away visiting her parents for their 20th anniversary, February 22, 1966, Bob Devou, Marie's future husband was stationed at Truax Field, Madison, Wisconsin in the United States Air Force. Bob ended up at Marie's apartment for a party along with several people and Marie's other roommate Rita. Bob saw a picture of a very pretty girl and asked Rita who the girl was. Bob obtained a telephone number called Marie a couple of days later and set up a date. The date February 22, 1966 was at a local tavern for young teens, The Three Bells. It was love at first sight. Marie earned a lifelong nickname (Snake) after Bob made a wise remark and Marie stuck her tongue out at him quickly. Marie and Bob were engaged six months later and married on February 11, 1967 at Saint Patrick's Church Waukon, Iowa, two weeks after Bob received his honorable discharge from the United States Air Force.

The couple moved to Biddeford, Maine about a week after their wedding. While living in an apartment on Birch Street in Biddeford, Marie and Bob had three beautiful daughters Kristine, Debra and Tanya. They bought their first home on Plymouth Drive in Biddeford in the 70s and than a larger second home on the Guinea Road in the 80s where they remained until Marie's passing.

Bob worked as a police officer in Biddeford for years and Marie, who was really smart and pretty as a movie star was a sales clerk at JCPenney, a bank teller supervisor, and a secretary for local doctors.  Before computers, Marie was an excellent typist. She always amazed employers because she could type over 70 words per minute without making a mistake.

As years went by Marie and Bob took country dancing lessons in Portland, Maine in the 90s. They enjoyed many dances at The Roost in the Buxton, Maine, Country Crossroads in Standish, Maine, the Rochambeau Club and Saint Jean's Hall in Biddeford and the Saco Armory. Marie and Bob enjoyed good times with friends Steve and Gail Widger, of Standish, Maine, Dick and Sharon Jacques, of Gorham, Maine and Dick and Judy Gagne of Biddeford, Maine. Bob also played in horseshoe tournaments with friends, Steve Widger and Dick Jacques. Marie was Bob's scorekeeper as Bob had to fend off other players who wanted Marie to keep score for them. Marie's motto at the time if you want to play horseshoes then we'll be going to dances (and we did).

Between 1967 and 2018 several trips were made by both sides of the family to visit one another. Marie and Bob knowing how long it took to get to the Midwest to see the relatives always tried to do something along the way to help relax the girls. There were visits along the way to Benson Animal Farm, Santa's Village, Storyland, and the Heritage House all in New Hampshire. Another trip was to Niagara Falls in New York, what a scenic view that was. Numerous other parks were visited along the way through Canada and down through the Midwestern states. The girls especially enjoyed Myrick Park in Lacrosse, Wisconsin. An on one special trip, the family visited Saint Patrick's Church in Waukon, Iowa where Marie and Bob were married and then going back to Madison, Wisconsin showing the girls where they met. Visits were made back to Lacrosse to visit Marie's lifelong friend Linda Larson and friends Barbara and Steve Morken, on their farm in Spring Grove, Minnesota. Marie had gone to high school with Barbara.
One embarrassing visit was to see Marie's cousin Mary Amundson on her farm in Spring Grove, Minnesota. The girls were quite young and wanted to see the cows in the barn. Two of them entered the barn, but came out gagging from the odor of the cow manure (it was a warm day which of course started the other one to gag). Bob was laughing so hard as Marie called the girls city slickers.

Marie always loved dancing and country music and was in all of her glory when she was dancing she could really dance and love to do the polka. Marie and Bob saw many country singers and sometimes the girls were with them at the Civic Center in Portland and other venues. They saw Johnny and June Cash, Barbara Mandrell, Reba McEntire, Vince Gill, Clint Black, Tanya Tucker, George Jones, Tammy Wynette, Alan Jackson(favorite) and Dolly Parton (favorite) and others. Yes, they also saw Tom Jones and Andy Williams. Her teen idol was Rick Nelson and later she molded herself after Doris Day with the hairdo and clothes worn by Doris Day.

Marie was a lovely, smart and strong beautiful woman with sexy movie star looks. She was approached by a woman at the old Rich's Department Store in Biddeford and asked if she was Suzanne Summers. Bob always thought she looked more like Cheryl Ladd. A couple of officers at the PD when seeing Marie for the first time gasped and said that's your wife. This happened again at a horseshoe tournament, an opposing player wanted to know who the blonde was that was keeping score for Bob. He told him and he gassed and said that's your wife. A dispatcher at the PD told Bob your wife looks really young, what did you do, take her out of high school.

I guess people thought Bob couldn't have a wife as beautiful as that. Even though Marie was stubborn at times and loved a good drink at social events, Bob was always proud of her and loved her dearly. She was also a very good cook. Her German potato salad was a hit at all family and friend's social gathering.

Marie will be missed deeply by her loving family and close friends. The family would like to thank all of the wonderful people at MaineHealth, Maine Medical Center and the team at Andwell Hospice and Dr. Kristin Baum for taking good care of Marie during her final days.

Marie was pre-deceased by her parents, Lawrence and Irene Gilson and her brother Jerome. She is survived by her loving husband of 59 years Bob, daughter, Kristine Adams and grandchildren Haley and Christian Adams of Standish, daughter Debra (Bob) Dipietrantonio, of Saco, daughter Tanya Devou of South Portland, her sister Barbara (Dave) Verhey of Mosinee, Wisconsin, her sister-in-law, Janet Devou (Gary) of Old Orchard Beach, sister in law Lorraine Lamontagne of Scarborough, her brother in law John Devou of Portland, and several nieces and cousins. Marie liked Maine, but her true home was always the Midwest.

She always said the Ocean in Maine were the cornfields in the Midwest. She really missed fishing on the Mississippi river with her family through good times and bad. Marie and Bob's love for one another endured for over 60 years.

Visitation will be from 4-7PM with prayers at 6:30PM Wednesday, July 22, 2026 at Cote Funeral Home Chapel, Saco. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 1PM Thursday, July 23, 2026 at St. Margaret's Church in Old Orchard Beach. Burial will follow in Woodlawn Cemetery in Biddeford. To view Marie's memorial page or leave an online condolence please visit www.cotefuneralhome.com