Barbara Jane Welch

Born: 8/24/1937 Died: 8/27/2017

I am not sure how an obituary should be worded. So, I am going to make this more of the basis for reminding all the people that knew her, how grateful she was to have them in her life. Barbara had a quick, easy and ingratiating smile. And when she smiled, it lit up the room. I first remember seeing Barbara when I was a freshman in high school, in our home town of Hoisington, Kansas. It is a small town in the middle of Kansas that lets you know most of the people. I remembered Barbara, not so much the other way. She was cheer leader and drum majorette, was pursued by upper classmen. So she really didn’t know I existed. It wasn’t until many years after high school that we met again. Both Barbara and I had gotten married, moved away raised a family and had a good life. It wasn’t until we had lost our spouses that we returned to Hoisington Labor Day. We met, we talked, but it took more than 2 years before we got serious. But finally, Barbara took a bold move and joined Dean in Gulf Breeze and began a new life.
After we had about three dates, I was told that my prostate cancer had come back. I was so shocked, I could only send Barbara an email and told her we would talk soon. When I called, she said she was on her way to Florida to help support me. About the time the radiation was over, Hurricane Dennis came. storm We decided to stay in the house and ride out the storm. We didn’t think it would be strong enough to blow us away. Aunt Helen and Uncle Ross were living in an apartment complex, so we brought them over to ride out the storm. A storm it was. In the middle of the first wave a window was being blown out. While we were trying to fix that mess, the skylight in the den blew out. We had our own personal storm in the house, Barbara was a trouper, getting buckets, containers, towels and taking charge of a completely strange situation. After the Dennis had passed we had no electricity for a week. We got a small generator that could run 2 items. So, we played like the old TV show Green Acres. Plug in refrigerator and a couple lights, or pull everything and run the microwave. At night, Uncle Ross got the air conditioner in the bedroom. It was very interesting, for many of you, you know what Florida is in the summer time without A/C. Barbara was a trooper. Finally, we got electricity and life normalized a little. The next day she was supposed to fly out, went to the airport, called in an hour, came back. We got to see each other under pressure and liked what we saw. Both thought we made a pretty good team. So we made a 10 year pact. If we worked as well as we wished, we could reup. There was never a doubt, it was the beginning of a fantastic and interesting 15 years. Barbara loved and was loved. Her family, our family were the central part of her life. She believed in contact and communication. Every week, she called her sons—Kevin on Saturday and Jon Sunday, and talked to Deb at least twice a week. She adored the grand’s. (Lily, Madison, Meghan, Christopher, Alex Bryant, Maddox, Brighton, and Dylan) as I wrote that, I hope feelings don’t get upset by the order, she did everything to see them and keep in touch, Loved them all.
Barbara and I had a great situation when it came to a friendship and family base. My family adopted and loved her from day one. Likewise, with hers. What made our base even better is our strong connection to our hometown, old friends which many we had in common. We didn’t have to make the adjustment many people do in adapting to a new relationship. Wasn’t perfect, as anyone who knows me might expect but it worked relatively smoothly.
Barbara was always dedicated to keeping fit. She would walk first thing in the morning, or take off late at night to finish off a day. This need led her to little fitness club that moved around Gulf Breeze until the owners had to quit. But this fitness group became a core of friends. The “gals” would be up to the gym by sis or six thirty. Do an hour workout ant home to start the day—Except on Tuesdays, there was her “Coffee Group” Ann, Phyliss, Marion, MaryAnn and Barbara. This group began at nine. Originally it would last to ten, then it was eleven, then twelve and sometimes more. No gossip, no politics, just a wonderful and exciting support group. Wednesday is coffee after exercise. This is somewhat a different group, but just as dedicated to seeing and interacting with their friends.
Early in our relationship, I had mentioned how wonderful it would be traveling to Europe. That didn’t go over very well, but would enjoy seeing more of the USA. Given that much of our family and many friends are in Kansas, going back was a 2-3 time a year experience. It was an experience of all the times we went only duplicated the same route 3 times. We would use our Labor Day trips as a starting point for perhaps going to Rapid City for Ginny and Darryl. Or on to Colorado. Every year we tried to use the time share which took us from Key West to Vancouver BC (not on the same trip) Once we hooked on to Max and Ruthie’s (Tarlton’s)time share in Maine. We even took a 2-3-week road trip to Las Vegas with the Tarlton. When we met, I was thinking we were pretty much getting on in age. (mid 60’s) Many of my friends start to think they are too old to do new things. Barbara had a tinge of that with some things like the cell phone. She had a “clam” when we first were together. “That phone is all I ever would need. I do not need one of those new things.” She really believed that. Finally, when cajoled into a smart phone, after the shock wore off, it began to be her new baby. Learn a little new thing one day, another the next and gee this isn’t all that hard. In fact, she was the electronic wizard and teacher of all those new things. She was like that in so many ways. New and different always interested her, whether it be in people or things. She seemed always willing to join me on the road less traveled.
I am positive that if you knew Barbara, you too have stories to share. To me she was a positive and engaging personality that I Truly loved.

Dean E. Allmon