Obituary: Mother of Six Loved Nature, Gardening

The following obituary is courtesy of Nichols Funeral Home.

Barbara M. (Goldthwaite) Ouellette, of Wilmington, formerly a long-time resident of Amesbury, passed away peacefully surrounded by her loving family at Woodbriar Nursing Home on January 29, 2014 following a lengthy illness.

Barbara was born on August 6, 1926 in Haverhill, MA; she was the cherished daughter of the late Charles and Ruth (Batchelder) Goldthwaite.  Barbara was raised in West Newbury and graduated from West Newbury High as Valedictorian of the class of 1945.   

After graduation, Barbara attended MacIntosh’s Business College and took the complete secretarial and accounting business courses plus cost accounting from the fall of 1945 to March 1947.

Barbara married the “love of her life,” Henry J.A. Ouellette on her birthday, August 6, 1949 and settled in Amesbury. Barbara and Henry shared 45 years of marriage, raised a wonderful family, cherished their role as parents and grandparents, and made countless memories to last for generations to come. Henry’s passing in 1995 was hard on Barbara; she not only lost her husband but her best friend.

In addition to caring for her six children, Barbara also worked hard as a bookkeeper for several different companies and private clients. Barbara was not only a talented bookkeeper but a well respected and trusted employee. Barbara finally retired in 1986 following many years of dedicated service to others.

Barbara had many different hobbies and interests; her favorite being nature.  Barbara loved working in her garden, bird watching, and visiting different lighthouses.  Barbara was also very interested in genealogy, having done extensive research on the family trees of the Goldthwaite and Ouellette families.  Through Barbara’s research, she was able to discover that the Goldthwaite family settled in Boston in 1630 from England. She was also a member of the “DAR” or Daughters of the American Revolution.

Barbara loved to travel with her family and friends; she visited all 50 states and several different countries.  She loved mountain climbing and camping.  One of Barbara’s most memorable trips was driving across the entire country with all six of her children in a station wagon with no air-conditioning, it was quite an adventure but everyone had a great time.

Barbara will be remembered as a devoted wife, mother and grandmother.  She had a wonderful personality and made many friends anywhere she went. She was the welcoming hostess for many WWII 13th Infantry  8th Division reunions. The veterans and their wives became an extension of her family. She was there to welcome them with her warm smile and many hugs.  Barbara loved to help family and friends, whether it was cooking, shopping or lending an ear, she was always there.  Barbara will be missed by all those who knew and loved her.

Barbara was the beloved wife of the late Henry J.A. Ouellette, devoted mother of Richard Ouellette & his fiancée Virginia “Ginny” Frazier of Beverly Farms, William Ouellette & his wife Diane of Pottsville, PA, Donald Ouellette & his wife Karen of Tewksbury, Sandy Kulseth & her husband Michael of Olympia, WA, Norman Ouellette & his wife Liliya of Salem, VA and Deborah Espinosa & her husband Bruce of Hampton, CT, loving “Nannie” of 11 and  “Great Grandma” of 8, dear sister of Robert Goldthwaite & his wife Rosalie of Chambersburg, PA, Verna Pratt of Anchorage, AK, Muriel Wanderer of San Francisco, CA, Susan Whitcomb & her husband Doug of Acton, and the late Mark Goldthwaite, Betty Flanagan and Jeanne Micklon.  Barbara is also survived by many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

Family and friends will gather at the Nichols Funeral Home, Inc., 187 Middlesex Ave. (Rte. 62), Wilmington, on Saturday, Feb. 8, for Visitation from 11:00 a.m.-12 p.m. immediately followed by a Funeral Service at 12:00 p.m. Interment at Arlington National Cemetery will be held at a future date.

Memorial donations in Barbara’s name may be made to the Methuen Memorial Music Hall, P.O. Box 463, Methuen, MA  01844.