CURRENT CELEBRATIONS

Winifred Barrows

Winnie worked lots of retail jobs over the years (Kmart, Modells, Shop Rite, Thriftway), but her jobs earned her more than just a paycheck.  It’s where she met most of her friends.  She’d maintain friendships her whole life through doing everything from shopping to water aerobics.  She had a green thumb; Winnie’s home looked like a rain forest inside and out.  Plants spent the summertime outside and she’d bring them in come winter.   Saturday mornings found her at the Moorestown Agricultural Center buying even more plants for her home.   Friday nights were for grocery shopping; Winnie shopped for her family and half her neighborhood.  If she left the area, she’d most likely be heading off for the beach to soak in some rays or off to Provincetown to do some people watching.   Of course, she found her real calling late in life; spoiler in chief to her 13 grandkids and her 2 great grands: they never heard the word no.  She never missed a birthday or Christmas card for any of them and loved hauling them off to Sesame Place and the shore.  Her only rule was don’t sleep late, especially if she was cleaning.  As a mom she wasn’t that strict, but when she yelled she’d hit all 5 of her kids’ names before getting the right one.  Winnie never stopped being a mom, her home was always open to her family; stay as long as you want, take what you need.On a busy night of comings and goings, a young Winnie Wedemeyer found herself in a car in front of the late Andy Barrows house.  They talked for hours.  He’d ship out to Germany the next day, but they’d write back and forth.  One letter contained a ring.  Winnie flew to Speicher, Germany for their wedding. Their 59-year marriage was blessed with five children; Debbie D. (Bill) Saltzman, Susan F. (Paul) DiDemenico, Carol L. (Troy) McGonigle, Andrew K. (Annette) Barrows, Wendy E. (Perry) Davis; and grandchildren; Billy, Joey (deceased), Mike, Jonathon, Stephanie (John), Robbie, Brian, Amanda, Shane, Daniel, Emily, Christopher, and Connie; and great-grandchildren; Damien and Harmony Rose.Come celebrate 82 great years Thursday 5-7 p.m. at Sweeney Funeral Home, Riverside where there will be a 7 p.m. service.  Interment Friday 1 p.m. at Brig. Gen. William C. Doyle Cemetery, Wrightstown.