For a one‑word description of Shelly Tinker, try "tenacious." The president of Lubec's Lost Fishermen's Memorial Association (LFMA) and wife of a fisherman started nearly seven years ago and refused to give up despite many setbacks. She soon will host the public dedication ceremony of the memorial, set for Sunday, August 21, at 1 p.m. at the north end of Water Street. The public is invited to participate.
     Lubec was settled during the turmoil of the War of 1812, the last time American soil was occupied by a foreign power, and that was only a few miles away in Eastport. Since that time Lubec residents, many of whom have ancestors dating back to that era, like the Passamaquoddy before them have wrested a living from the sea. In the home of treacherous 24-foot-tides, the waters do not readily forgive even the slightest of mistakes. Fishermen go to sea; it is what they do because it is in their blood, and every time they go out their families wait anxiously for their return. All too often the families do not even get to bury their loved ones.
     On July 21, the long‑awaited setting of the monument, crafted by sculptor Jesse Salisbury, was an emotional event, with many eager to see and run their fingers across the name of a lost family member, friend or neighbor and to listen tearfully in the hope of hearing the carved names whisper back. Site preparation began weeks earlier, building local anticipation, and now only the final plantings remain to be installed. Perhaps by the dedication the grass will be green, but it is what went before that matters.
     It all started with the twin losses of 2009 -- first the All American then the Bottom Basher -- taking with them five local fishermen, both vessels going down in Cobscook Bay in separate accidents only a few months apart, leaving a community to grieve alongside the families. "Everybody in town knew them," says Tinker, thinking back to that day with the helicopters overhead. "Wanda and I, we knew something had to be done." Tinker credits her sister, Wanda Corey, as being her support during the entire process, describing how one would prop up the other when things looked bleak. "I nearly quit many times," she says, "but then something would say, 'No, you can't quit.'" There was no single breakthrough, she says, but a series of small triumphs that sustained her.
    "It gives me closure," says Florence Lank, whose husband Loren was lost on the All American while out dragging for urchins. "I didn't want him to go out that day," she says in an interview together with Tinker, "on account of his heart condition. He said he wanted to make some money. When they came and told me that evening, it was terrible." She talked of how the community came together to support her in her loss and how she still wakes up in the night. The first time she spotted her husband's name on the stone, "I didn't know to cry or be happy. It's wonderful," she adds, looking at Tinker, "to have something in Lubec that is so beautiful."
     Fishermen who lost their lives while plying their trade are included on the list, which will soon be matched by a searchable database accessed through the association's website. All are either from or visiting Washington and Charlotte counties and date from 1900 on, but Tinker admits the list is incomplete. For instance, the stone does not include lobsterman Jonathan Popham of Machiasport, lost recently on July 16. At this time there are 102 names carved into the stone, a number comparable to the tally of Civil War losses listed in the nearby park. Underscoring the risks, U.S. government statistics show that during 2014 C the last year for which statistics were published commercial fishing was the second most hazardous profession, only slightly behind logging.
     The association negotiated a long‑term lease with the town in 2011 and put up a sign, but then came the arduous task of collecting the funds needed to make it happen. Little things take on a big significance when trying to fund a project like the Lost Fishermen's Memorial. Things like the time Lubec resident Cal Barnett won a LFMA raffle, a photograph of the vessel Wizard, the boat featured on the TV show "Deadliest Catch" and autographed by Capt. Keith Colburn and crew. Barnett sold his trophy for $500, which he immediately turned over to the association. When Colburn caught wind of Barnett's generosity he promptly replaced the photo.
     But that's not all. Some of the fundraisers are just plain fun, like the annual King Neptune's Brides Bash, now an end‑of‑winter tradition mirroring the end‑of‑summer pirate invasion. Golf tournaments, lobster dinners and donations by marathon runners all add up, but much came from community members giving what they could. "Nobody wanted these men to be forgotten," says Tinker.
     A big boost came in February 2014 when Bar Harbor Bank and Trust issued a challenge to the LFMA to raise $25,000, and the bank would add another $10,000. That goal was passed by June 2014. "It all happened so fast it made my head spin," said Tinker in an interview at that time.
     "We're not so naive to think there won't be more names added," says LFMA Vice President Bill Case, "but we hope to mitigate future losses." Case, like Tinker a lifetime resident of Lubec, uses that word frequently in describing the long‑term mission of the association.
     Four years ago the association spoke of plans to take on a preventive role, helping to educate fishermen on risk management techniques and facilitating the acquisition of advanced safety equipment. "That's why we are right here," says Case, pointing to the ground adjacent to the boat ramp, commercial pier and anchorage. "We want them to see this when they put in and again when they take out. I'd love to put a picture of this," indicating the memorial with all the names, "in every wheelhouse with a sign saying, 'We don't want your business.'" Fundraising will continue to enable the association to carry out that mission.
     Plans for the dedication service include a blessing of the fleet, conducted by recently retired Father Gene Gaffey, with 35 vessels expected, including a large contingent from Grand Manan.