Barb Bodine

Barb Bodine was a quiet and shy woman with an enormous personality. She remained young at heart her whole life and always looked on the bright side. Friends and family remember her wonderful sense of humor and the fact that she was always polite and respectful toward others. Barb lived her life to the fullest and leaves behind many happy memories that will be treasured for years to come.

With banks still closing as a result of the Great Depression, mobster Al Capone locked away in Alcatraz, the completion of the Empire State Building and during one of the greatest droughts in American history, John and Bertha (Curtis) Scott welcomed home their second baby girl, Barb born on February 17, 1931 in Allegan, Michigan. Joining her sister, Thelma, Barb brought much hope and happiness to those tough economic times.

Growing up in Plainwell, Barb attended and proudly graduated from Plainwell High School in 1948. She met the love of her life, Richard at the soda shop and ice cream parlor in downtown Plainwell. He attended Plainwell’s rival, Otsego High School just a short drive across town. The two of them dated while Richard was in the Army and were married just a year after he was discharged. They lived in an apartment in her parent’s home in Plainwell while building their own home in Parchment. Together, they raised two children; Leona and Wesley.

Barb was a natural animal lover and always had pets. In her younger years, she was the proud owner of a rather large cat named, Fang. In recent years, she shared a special bond with their German Shephard Ike. In addition to her love of animals, she loved camping. She and Richard traveled all over in motor homes and owned eight of them over the years. Each and every spring break while the kids were in school, she traveled to her favorite destination of St. Augustine, Florida. Another family vacation was the annual trip to Wilderness State Park in Mackinaw. Sports cars were also an interest of hers. Over the years, she had several Mustangs and a Fiat. All of her sports cars had to be convertibles.

Known for her homemade macaroni and cheese as well as popcorn balls at Christmas, her wonderful cooking will be missed by many. Barb loved to make holidays special for the family by decorating the house from top to bottom. When it came to cooking, she never needed a recipe or a measuring cup as cooking was her natural gift. When she wasn’t cooking or listening to Jim Reeves, she enjoyed attending flea markets, auctions and garage sales. Sadly, Barb passed away and her optimism and sweet personality will be deeply missed.

Barb Bodine, age 85, of Parchment passed away on June 12, 2016 at Borgess Hospital. Barb was born on February 17, 1931 to John & Bertha (Curtis) Scott. Visit with her family and friends and view her life story film on Wednesday, June 15 from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the Life Story Funeral Home, Plainwell; 120 Woodhams St. (685-5881). A funeral service will be held on Thursday, June 16 at 11:00 a.m. at the same location. Barb’s family includes her husband of 65 years, Richard; her children: Leona (Al Grantham) Petkoff and Wesley Bodine; nephew David Bigelow and niece Linda (Ed) Sims. She was preceded in death by her parents and her sister Thelma. Please visit Barb’s memory page at www.lifestorynet.com where you can archive a memory or photo and sign her memory book online. Memorial donations can be made to the Humane Society.