Even at 84, the Franklin resident helped out wherever she was needed - right up until her one-year battle with cancer ended Tuesday.
"She just would always do what needed to be done ... whatever she got involved in, she did to her fullest," said Lodi's oldest son, Ruston of Newton.
The existing 55-year-old factory had been added to over the years, but its size makes for tight working quarters and its infrastructure is barely passing its health inspections.
"It's passing code, but it's not going to do that forever," Sister Mariann Garrity said.
Garrity said one reason for construction is the walls, which have a bumpy surface and cannot be washed - creating a sanitary issue.
"The most important reason we are building a larger candy factory is that we'd like to expand our production," she said. "The building now is too tight space-wise to be able to do that."
