TERRYVILLE, CT — Barbara Plumb of Terryville passed away peacefully in her sleep November 16th at Bristol Hospital, having lived 97 years New Hampshire strong. Born in Claremont and raised in Lebanon, New Hampshire, the only daughter of Ernest and Eula Berry, Barbara graduated from Lebanon High School. There she played basketball and later in life became an avid fan of the UConn women’s basketball team.
In 1941 she went to Bristol to work at New Departure to support the WWII war efforts and lived with her cousin Ruth Erickson. Later she worked for her cousin at Ericksons Florist and also for the Terryville school lunch program.
Barbara met her late husband Wendell in the choir at Terryville Congregational church. Married at the same church December 1, 1945, Barbara and Wendell sang together in the choir for many years. Barbara was a very active member, involved in church suppers, bazaars, and other roles, and taking over the responsibilities for the church’s food pantry when Rev. Vardell Swett retired. She was also a long time member of Eastern Star. Barbara and Wendell were fixtures at the Lions Terryville fair. Even after she became physically limited due to a failed hip surgery, she continued her service to the church and to the needy by knitting too many prayer shawls to count, giving that up just a year or two ago. Barbara was an avid reader, gardener, baker and cook, and was always ready for an adventure, traveling to Germany with Wendell, spending a day on the beach at Rocky Neck, and tent camping with her daughter Janice’s family in Connecticut and her son Roger’s family in Wisconsin. Along with her daughter Patricia, Barbara visited Arizona and her son Christopher and especially enjoyed a jeep tour of the mountains. Her last big adventure was when she was 95. It was a long late March, 2018 hike through snow and muck and narrow boardwalks with daughters Jennifer, Janice, son Roger, daughter-in-law, a granddaughter and two great-granddaughters. The hike took nearly 4 hours on a sunny but chilly day, yet when asked if she remembered it, she grinned widely and said “that was fun!” As her health began to fail, Barbara was blessed to be able to live in her home on the corner of High and Hillside until recently, thanks to her daughter Janice, who unselfishly devoted herself to caring for her mother. This past year, when Barbara no longer felt comfortable living alone, Janice and her husband Hank opened their hearts and their home to Barbara, caring for Barbara with love and devotion until two weeks before she died.
Barbara was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Wendell, her brothers Alden, Howard, Dryden, and Roger Berry, her daughter Patricia Felch, and her dear friends Marge Hawes, Lois Barnes, and many more. Remembering her fondly are her sister-in-law Ellen Cifone, her god-daughter Sally Barnes; her children Roger (Linda) of Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, Christopher of Prescott, Arizona, Janice Poulin (Hank) of Terryville, and Jennifer (Patti) of Hasting, Michigan, along with seven grandchildren, and eleven great grandchildren. A memorial service is planned for spring 2021.