Barbara Jean Spencer was born 2 Nov 1930, Jackson, Jackson County, Michigan to Robert M. and Maree (Miller) Spencer. She grew up in a two bedroom house with her parents and four brothers. The attic was converted into a room for the boys meaning Barb had a room to herself, well...almost. The stairway to the attic was in her room. As a result of her close relationship with her brothers, Barb was a self professed tomboy, enjoying camping, fishing, and sports. Her father gave her the special nickname "Sally" or "my gal Sal."
Later she would get three of the most wonderful sisters she could ever hope for, sister-in-laws Jean, Joann, Donna. They became her lifelong best friends.
Born in 1930, Barb grew up during the Great Depression when people didn't have much and what they did have they hung on to. In part this explains much about what her kids would find in the house as they periodically attempted to help her clean the basement. She had a hard time letting go, everything could have a second purpose. This also meant that when each of her children moved out of the house she had at least one box for each of them containing mementos and trinkets from the time they were born until they graduated high school.
After graduating from Jackson High School, Barb went on to attend Jackson Community College and after that enrolled in Michigan State College of Agriculture and Applied Science, otherwise known as Michigan State. She was very creative, so in addition to her regular studies, she took art classes. She painted, sculpted and made jewelry, a hobby she shared with her father. During the summerts she worked in Gaylord at a restaurant named Smiths. In her junior year in college she met Larry Sublett and fell in love. They both graduated in 1953. After graduation, they both got jobs teaching in Redford. Larry taught high school and Barb, elementary students.
On 20 December 1954, Barb was united in marriage with Lawrence Wilton Sublett, Jr., son of Lawrence Wilton Sublett, Sr. and Evelyn O'Connor, at Jackson, Jackson County, Michigan, USA. Their honeymoon was a summer long trip driving to California and back, stopping at many historical sites along the way including a stop at the newly opened theme park, Disneyland.
Barb grew up in a time when letter writing was a main form of communication. Thus she became the writer and story teller. On their honeymoon she would write a diary of the trip in the form of a letter, mail it back to her parents who in turn mailed it to Larry's parents who then gave it back to her.
With their summers free they both were able to do what the loved most...travel. Before kids came along they had taken trips to Washington, D.C, Florida, Alabama, and Colorado.
When on the phone she would always be taking notes. Even now we have found many unfinished letters. Whether she was checking on relative, telling a friend about Larry’s high school journalism award, Becky’s success’s in the choir or her grandchildren coming to visit her she did it in a letter.
Barb remained a full time elementary school teacher until the Larry was born in 1958 and then she started her career as a substitute teacher. She would be selected to take on long term substitution positions, anywhere from a few weeks to a few months. She loved decorating her classrooms but, mostly she loved the kids and the kids loved her too. The interesting thing about elementary teachers is that they often talk to everyone, no matter your age, like you are a little kid. She remained a long term substitute until she retired in 1991.
Barb and Larry were blessed with three children:
Lawrence Wilton Sublett, III
Sean Paul Sublett
Rebecca Leigh Sublett
The summer vacations with their children led them all over the US and Canada. A favorite destination was near Traverse City on Lake Leelanau where friends, Hal and Leola Bahr had a cottage. They would take their trailer up a few weeks after school let out, set up camp and stay there until late August. Under Barb's tutelage fruits and vegetables were harvested and preserved to stock their shelves and freezer at home for the winter. The area around the Lake Leelanau was very hilly; Barb liked to drive to the top of one hill put the car in neutral, pretend they were on a roller coaster, and see how many hills they could traverse without putting the car in gear.
During the school years Barb always made time to be involved with their children's extracurricular activities; Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and Rainbow Girls. She held many roles as mothers often do. One such role was zookeeper. She cared for their children as well as the many different critters they brought home, One of her favorite stories was the day she had to retrieve Paul from school because his guinea pigs were MIA. They had spent the night camping in the back yard under some scrap aluminum. In addition to the volunteer roles she took on for her kids she also volunteered with the American Cancer Society driving patients to appointments.
Barb loved the Holidays. In the summer she waited for the Hallmark previewornament catalog like a little kid waiting for the Toys r Us catalog. Decorating the house and the tree at Christmas time was one of her true joys. Every Christmas season she would purchase a new ornament, or two, for each member of the family. I can say with high a high degree of confidence that her children, grandchildren, and great grandchild can each easily decorate a 7.5' tree and will have many fond memories of her when they do. One of Becky's fondest memories is making Christmas cookies with her mom. It was always a big production with many different types of cookies that were Barb's specialty. Tradition played a big part in our family gatherings. At Thanksgiving and Christmas her brothers would always count her to make their favorite mincemeat pie, like their mother made.
When her husband, Larry had a major stroke in 1988, Barb added a whole new list of jobs to her resume. She took on the role of caregiver, accountant, and chief bookkeeper organizing Larry's slew of doctor and therapy appointments. All the while she was managing her own medical challenges which were many. After her last major surgery in 2010 she had completed her punch card for "have 10 surgeries get one free" and received a new card which let the airport security know how much metal she had in her body, so they would know why the alarms were going off. She always kept a good sense of humor which helped her deal with their escalating medical conditions. We teased that we were rebuilding her one part at time.
Through all of the challenges she had, her one wish was that she remained at home. She had a bad experience in a nursing home once and once was enough and in the end her wish was granted. Barbara passed away peacefully on Monday, 13 Oct 2014 surrounded by love. Her husband, Larry, preceded her in death Thurdsay, 23 July 2014, age 83.
Obituary:
Barbara Jean Sublett
(November 2, 1930 - October 13, 2014)
Age 83. Beloved wife of the late Lawrence. Dear mother of Lawrence III, Paul (Cheri), and Rebecca. Loving grandmother of Heather (Danny) Salisbury, Ryan and Sean Sublett. Great grandmother of Amilia. Sister of the late Hugh, Robert and Keith Spencer. Sister-in-law of Joann, Donna, and the late Jean Spencer.
Memorial Visitation Sunday, November 2nd from 12 Noon-2 pm Funeral Service at Charles R. Step Funeral Home, 18425 Beech Daly Rd. (btw 6 & 7 Mile). Contributions to Michigan Humane Society.
Later she would get three of the most wonderful sisters she could ever hope for, sister-in-laws Jean, Joann, Donna. They became her lifelong best friends.
Born in 1930, Barb grew up during the Great Depression when people didn't have much and what they did have they hung on to. In part this explains much about what her kids would find in the house as they periodically attempted to help her clean the basement. She had a hard time letting go, everything could have a second purpose. This also meant that when each of her children moved out of the house she had at least one box for each of them containing mementos and trinkets from the time they were born until they graduated high school.
After graduating from Jackson High School, Barb went on to attend Jackson Community College and after that enrolled in Michigan State College of Agriculture and Applied Science, otherwise known as Michigan State. She was very creative, so in addition to her regular studies, she took art classes. She painted, sculpted and made jewelry, a hobby she shared with her father. During the summerts she worked in Gaylord at a restaurant named Smiths. In her junior year in college she met Larry Sublett and fell in love. They both graduated in 1953. After graduation, they both got jobs teaching in Redford. Larry taught high school and Barb, elementary students.
On 20 December 1954, Barb was united in marriage with Lawrence Wilton Sublett, Jr., son of Lawrence Wilton Sublett, Sr. and Evelyn O'Connor, at Jackson, Jackson County, Michigan, USA. Their honeymoon was a summer long trip driving to California and back, stopping at many historical sites along the way including a stop at the newly opened theme park, Disneyland.
Barb grew up in a time when letter writing was a main form of communication. Thus she became the writer and story teller. On their honeymoon she would write a diary of the trip in the form of a letter, mail it back to her parents who in turn mailed it to Larry's parents who then gave it back to her.
With their summers free they both were able to do what the loved most...travel. Before kids came along they had taken trips to Washington, D.C, Florida, Alabama, and Colorado.
When on the phone she would always be taking notes. Even now we have found many unfinished letters. Whether she was checking on relative, telling a friend about Larry’s high school journalism award, Becky’s success’s in the choir or her grandchildren coming to visit her she did it in a letter.
Barb remained a full time elementary school teacher until the Larry was born in 1958 and then she started her career as a substitute teacher. She would be selected to take on long term substitution positions, anywhere from a few weeks to a few months. She loved decorating her classrooms but, mostly she loved the kids and the kids loved her too. The interesting thing about elementary teachers is that they often talk to everyone, no matter your age, like you are a little kid. She remained a long term substitute until she retired in 1991.
Barb and Larry were blessed with three children:
Lawrence Wilton Sublett, III
Sean Paul Sublett
Rebecca Leigh Sublett
The summer vacations with their children led them all over the US and Canada. A favorite destination was near Traverse City on Lake Leelanau where friends, Hal and Leola Bahr had a cottage. They would take their trailer up a few weeks after school let out, set up camp and stay there until late August. Under Barb's tutelage fruits and vegetables were harvested and preserved to stock their shelves and freezer at home for the winter. The area around the Lake Leelanau was very hilly; Barb liked to drive to the top of one hill put the car in neutral, pretend they were on a roller coaster, and see how many hills they could traverse without putting the car in gear.
During the school years Barb always made time to be involved with their children's extracurricular activities; Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and Rainbow Girls. She held many roles as mothers often do. One such role was zookeeper. She cared for their children as well as the many different critters they brought home, One of her favorite stories was the day she had to retrieve Paul from school because his guinea pigs were MIA. They had spent the night camping in the back yard under some scrap aluminum. In addition to the volunteer roles she took on for her kids she also volunteered with the American Cancer Society driving patients to appointments.
Barb loved the Holidays. In the summer she waited for the Hallmark previewornament catalog like a little kid waiting for the Toys r Us catalog. Decorating the house and the tree at Christmas time was one of her true joys. Every Christmas season she would purchase a new ornament, or two, for each member of the family. I can say with high a high degree of confidence that her children, grandchildren, and great grandchild can each easily decorate a 7.5' tree and will have many fond memories of her when they do. One of Becky's fondest memories is making Christmas cookies with her mom. It was always a big production with many different types of cookies that were Barb's specialty. Tradition played a big part in our family gatherings. At Thanksgiving and Christmas her brothers would always count her to make their favorite mincemeat pie, like their mother made.
When her husband, Larry had a major stroke in 1988, Barb added a whole new list of jobs to her resume. She took on the role of caregiver, accountant, and chief bookkeeper organizing Larry's slew of doctor and therapy appointments. All the while she was managing her own medical challenges which were many. After her last major surgery in 2010 she had completed her punch card for "have 10 surgeries get one free" and received a new card which let the airport security know how much metal she had in her body, so they would know why the alarms were going off. She always kept a good sense of humor which helped her deal with their escalating medical conditions. We teased that we were rebuilding her one part at time.
Through all of the challenges she had, her one wish was that she remained at home. She had a bad experience in a nursing home once and once was enough and in the end her wish was granted. Barbara passed away peacefully on Monday, 13 Oct 2014 surrounded by love. Her husband, Larry, preceded her in death Thurdsay, 23 July 2014, age 83.
Obituary:
Barbara Jean Sublett
(November 2, 1930 - October 13, 2014)
Age 83. Beloved wife of the late Lawrence. Dear mother of Lawrence III, Paul (Cheri), and Rebecca. Loving grandmother of Heather (Danny) Salisbury, Ryan and Sean Sublett. Great grandmother of Amilia. Sister of the late Hugh, Robert and Keith Spencer. Sister-in-law of Joann, Donna, and the late Jean Spencer.
Memorial Visitation Sunday, November 2nd from 12 Noon-2 pm Funeral Service at Charles R. Step Funeral Home, 18425 Beech Daly Rd. (btw 6 & 7 Mile). Contributions to Michigan Humane Society.
Barbara Jean Spencer was born 2 Nov 1930, Jackson, Jackson County, Michigan to Robert M. and Maree (Miller) Spencer. She grew up in a two bedroom house with her parents and four brothers. The attic was converted into a room for the boys meaning Barb had a room to herself, well...almost. The stairway to the attic was in her room. As a result of her close relationship with her brothers, Barb was a self professed tomboy, enjoying camping, fishing, and sports. Her father gave her the special nickname "Sally" or "my gal Sal."
Later she would get three of the most wonderful sisters she could ever hope for, sister-in-laws Jean, Joann, Donna. They became her lifelong best friends.
Born in 1930, Barb grew up during the Great Depression when people didn't have much and what they did have they hung on to. In part this explains much about what her kids would find in the house as they periodically attempted to help her clean the basement. She had a hard time letting go, everything could have a second purpose. This also meant that when each of her children moved out of the house she had at least one box for each of them containing mementos and trinkets from the time they were born until they graduated high school.
After graduating from Jackson High School, Barb went on to attend Jackson Community College and after that enrolled in Michigan State College of Agriculture and Applied Science, otherwise known as Michigan State. She was very creative, so in addition to her regular studies, she took art classes. She painted, sculpted and made jewelry, a hobby she shared with her father. During the summerts she worked in Gaylord at a restaurant named Smiths. In her junior year in college she met Larry Sublett and fell in love. They both graduated in 1953. After graduation, they both got jobs teaching in Redford. Larry taught high school and Barb, elementary students.
On 20 December 1954, Barb was united in marriage with Lawrence Wilton Sublett, Jr., son of Lawrence Wilton Sublett, Sr. and Evelyn O'Connor, at Jackson, Jackson County, Michigan, USA. Their honeymoon was a summer long trip driving to California and back, stopping at many historical sites along the way including a stop at the newly opened theme park, Disneyland.
Barb grew up in a time when letter writing was a main form of communication. Thus she became the writer and story teller. On their honeymoon she would write a diary of the trip in the form of a letter, mail it back to her parents who in turn mailed it to Larry's parents who then gave it back to her.
With their summers free they both were able to do what the loved most...travel. Before kids came along they had taken trips to Washington, D.C, Florida, Alabama, and Colorado.
When on the phone she would always be taking notes. Even now we have found many unfinished letters. Whether she was checking on relative, telling a friend about Larry’s high school journalism award, Becky’s success’s in the choir or her grandchildren coming to visit her she did it in a letter.
Barb remained a full time elementary school teacher until the Larry was born in 1958 and then she started her career as a substitute teacher. She would be selected to take on long term substitution positions, anywhere from a few weeks to a few months. She loved decorating her classrooms but, mostly she loved the kids and the kids loved her too. The interesting thing about elementary teachers is that they often talk to everyone, no matter your age, like you are a little kid. She remained a long term substitute until she retired in 1991.
Barb and Larry were blessed with three children:
Lawrence Wilton Sublett, III
Sean Paul Sublett
Rebecca Leigh Sublett
The summer vacations with their children led them all over the US and Canada. A favorite destination was near Traverse City on Lake Leelanau where friends, Hal and Leola Bahr had a cottage. They would take their trailer up a few weeks after school let out, set up camp and stay there until late August. Under Barb's tutelage fruits and vegetables were harvested and preserved to stock their shelves and freezer at home for the winter. The area around the Lake Leelanau was very hilly; Barb liked to drive to the top of one hill put the car in neutral, pretend they were on a roller coaster, and see how many hills they could traverse without putting the car in gear.
During the school years Barb always made time to be involved with their children's extracurricular activities; Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and Rainbow Girls. She held many roles as mothers often do. One such role was zookeeper. She cared for their children as well as the many different critters they brought home, One of her favorite stories was the day she had to retrieve Paul from school because his guinea pigs were MIA. They had spent the night camping in the back yard under some scrap aluminum. In addition to the volunteer roles she took on for her kids she also volunteered with the American Cancer Society driving patients to appointments.
Barb loved the Holidays. In the summer she waited for the Hallmark previewornament catalog like a little kid waiting for the Toys r Us catalog. Decorating the house and the tree at Christmas time was one of her true joys. Every Christmas season she would purchase a new ornament, or two, for each member of the family. I can say with high a high degree of confidence that her children, grandchildren, and great grandchild can each easily decorate a 7.5' tree and will have many fond memories of her when they do. One of Becky's fondest memories is making Christmas cookies with her mom. It was always a big production with many different types of cookies that were Barb's specialty. Tradition played a big part in our family gatherings. At Thanksgiving and Christmas her brothers would always count her to make their favorite mincemeat pie, like their mother made.
When her husband, Larry had a major stroke in 1988, Barb added a whole new list of jobs to her resume. She took on the role of caregiver, accountant, and chief bookkeeper organizing Larry's slew of doctor and therapy appointments. All the while she was managing her own medical challenges which were many. After her last major surgery in 2010 she had completed her punch card for "have 10 surgeries get one free" and received a new card which let the airport security know how much metal she had in her body, so they would know why the alarms were going off. She always kept a good sense of humor which helped her deal with their escalating medical conditions. We teased that we were rebuilding her one part at time.
Through all of the challenges she had, her one wish was that she remained at home. She had a bad experience in a nursing home once and once was enough and in the end her wish was granted. Barbara passed away peacefully on Monday, 13 Oct 2014 surrounded by love. Her husband, Larry, preceded her in death Thurdsay, 23 July 2014, age 83.
Obituary:
Barbara Jean Sublett
(November 2, 1930 - October 13, 2014)
Age 83. Beloved wife of the late Lawrence. Dear mother of Lawrence III, Paul (Cheri), and Rebecca. Loving grandmother of Heather (Danny) Salisbury, Ryan and Sean Sublett. Great grandmother of Amilia. Sister of the late Hugh, Robert and Keith Spencer. Sister-in-law of Joann, Donna, and the late Jean Spencer.
Memorial Visitation Sunday, November 2nd from 12 Noon-2 pm Funeral Service at Charles R. Step Funeral Home, 18425 Beech Daly Rd. (btw 6 & 7 Mile). Contributions to Michigan Humane Society.
Later she would get three of the most wonderful sisters she could ever hope for, sister-in-laws Jean, Joann, Donna. They became her lifelong best friends.
Born in 1930, Barb grew up during the Great Depression when people didn't have much and what they did have they hung on to. In part this explains much about what her kids would find in the house as they periodically attempted to help her clean the basement. She had a hard time letting go, everything could have a second purpose. This also meant that when each of her children moved out of the house she had at least one box for each of them containing mementos and trinkets from the time they were born until they graduated high school.
After graduating from Jackson High School, Barb went on to attend Jackson Community College and after that enrolled in Michigan State College of Agriculture and Applied Science, otherwise known as Michigan State. She was very creative, so in addition to her regular studies, she took art classes. She painted, sculpted and made jewelry, a hobby she shared with her father. During the summerts she worked in Gaylord at a restaurant named Smiths. In her junior year in college she met Larry Sublett and fell in love. They both graduated in 1953. After graduation, they both got jobs teaching in Redford. Larry taught high school and Barb, elementary students.
On 20 December 1954, Barb was united in marriage with Lawrence Wilton Sublett, Jr., son of Lawrence Wilton Sublett, Sr. and Evelyn O'Connor, at Jackson, Jackson County, Michigan, USA. Their honeymoon was a summer long trip driving to California and back, stopping at many historical sites along the way including a stop at the newly opened theme park, Disneyland.
Barb grew up in a time when letter writing was a main form of communication. Thus she became the writer and story teller. On their honeymoon she would write a diary of the trip in the form of a letter, mail it back to her parents who in turn mailed it to Larry's parents who then gave it back to her.
With their summers free they both were able to do what the loved most...travel. Before kids came along they had taken trips to Washington, D.C, Florida, Alabama, and Colorado.
When on the phone she would always be taking notes. Even now we have found many unfinished letters. Whether she was checking on relative, telling a friend about Larry’s high school journalism award, Becky’s success’s in the choir or her grandchildren coming to visit her she did it in a letter.
Barb remained a full time elementary school teacher until the Larry was born in 1958 and then she started her career as a substitute teacher. She would be selected to take on long term substitution positions, anywhere from a few weeks to a few months. She loved decorating her classrooms but, mostly she loved the kids and the kids loved her too. The interesting thing about elementary teachers is that they often talk to everyone, no matter your age, like you are a little kid. She remained a long term substitute until she retired in 1991.
Barb and Larry were blessed with three children:
Lawrence Wilton Sublett, III
Sean Paul Sublett
Rebecca Leigh Sublett
The summer vacations with their children led them all over the US and Canada. A favorite destination was near Traverse City on Lake Leelanau where friends, Hal and Leola Bahr had a cottage. They would take their trailer up a few weeks after school let out, set up camp and stay there until late August. Under Barb's tutelage fruits and vegetables were harvested and preserved to stock their shelves and freezer at home for the winter. The area around the Lake Leelanau was very hilly; Barb liked to drive to the top of one hill put the car in neutral, pretend they were on a roller coaster, and see how many hills they could traverse without putting the car in gear.
During the school years Barb always made time to be involved with their children's extracurricular activities; Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and Rainbow Girls. She held many roles as mothers often do. One such role was zookeeper. She cared for their children as well as the many different critters they brought home, One of her favorite stories was the day she had to retrieve Paul from school because his guinea pigs were MIA. They had spent the night camping in the back yard under some scrap aluminum. In addition to the volunteer roles she took on for her kids she also volunteered with the American Cancer Society driving patients to appointments.
Barb loved the Holidays. In the summer she waited for the Hallmark previewornament catalog like a little kid waiting for the Toys r Us catalog. Decorating the house and the tree at Christmas time was one of her true joys. Every Christmas season she would purchase a new ornament, or two, for each member of the family. I can say with high a high degree of confidence that her children, grandchildren, and great grandchild can each easily decorate a 7.5' tree and will have many fond memories of her when they do. One of Becky's fondest memories is making Christmas cookies with her mom. It was always a big production with many different types of cookies that were Barb's specialty. Tradition played a big part in our family gatherings. At Thanksgiving and Christmas her brothers would always count her to make their favorite mincemeat pie, like their mother made.
When her husband, Larry had a major stroke in 1988, Barb added a whole new list of jobs to her resume. She took on the role of caregiver, accountant, and chief bookkeeper organizing Larry's slew of doctor and therapy appointments. All the while she was managing her own medical challenges which were many. After her last major surgery in 2010 she had completed her punch card for "have 10 surgeries get one free" and received a new card which let the airport security know how much metal she had in her body, so they would know why the alarms were going off. She always kept a good sense of humor which helped her deal with their escalating medical conditions. We teased that we were rebuilding her one part at time.
Through all of the challenges she had, her one wish was that she remained at home. She had a bad experience in a nursing home once and once was enough and in the end her wish was granted. Barbara passed away peacefully on Monday, 13 Oct 2014 surrounded by love. Her husband, Larry, preceded her in death Thurdsay, 23 July 2014, age 83.
Obituary:
Barbara Jean Sublett
(November 2, 1930 - October 13, 2014)
Age 83. Beloved wife of the late Lawrence. Dear mother of Lawrence III, Paul (Cheri), and Rebecca. Loving grandmother of Heather (Danny) Salisbury, Ryan and Sean Sublett. Great grandmother of Amilia. Sister of the late Hugh, Robert and Keith Spencer. Sister-in-law of Joann, Donna, and the late Jean Spencer.
Memorial Visitation Sunday, November 2nd from 12 Noon-2 pm Funeral Service at Charles R. Step Funeral Home, 18425 Beech Daly Rd. (btw 6 & 7 Mile). Contributions to Michigan Humane Society.
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