Anne Tarbell

Anne Marie Carpenter Tarbell, age 80, a resident of Bolingbrook, IL since 1978, formerly of Vicksburg, MI, died Saturday, August 3, 2024, at her home from acute myeloid leukemia. She was preceded by her parents, Osmer and Irene Carpenter; and her brothers, Francis, Jim, George, and Douglas. She is survived by her husband Bill Tarbell; her daughters, Marie (Donald) Zahorick and Kathryn Tarbell; her grandchildren, James Zahorick, Elizabeth (Thomas) Howe, and Eleanor Zahorick; as well as her brothers, John Carpenter and David Carpenter, multiple sisters-in-law, and many nieces and nephews.

Anne was born in Fort Smith, Arkansas, and her family moved to Oak Ridge, Tennessee when she was four. They moved again to Vicksburg, Michigan, when Anne was eight years old. She attended a one-room school for third grade that was well-equipped with two outhouses. Anne spent her childhood playing with her beloved older brothers, helping to raise her younger brothers, and trying not to freeze in Michigan winters. She was very active in 4-H. She graduated from Vicksburg High School in 1961.

Anne's mother said a girl didn't need to go to college because she would just get married and have children. Anne thought, "I don't know who that girl is, but it's not me!" After working as a telephone operator, she began college with a government Pell Grant. Though most of her time was spent at North Central College in Naperville, she went to Tougaloo College, Jackson, MS fall semester in 1964 where she was a Civil Rights student activist. She was shot at, sucker-punched, and spat on by Mississippi rednecks.

After graduating from North Central in 1966, Anne went to Vietnam sponsored by Church World Service. There, she worked in an orphanage and slum in Saigon. After a motorcycle accident, Anne returned home to recover from her concussion, as well as a case of amoebic dysentery she had contracted.

In 1969, she attended Scarritt and Vanderbilt University, both in Nashville, TN. She met her husband Bill Tarbell in intensive Chinese class. They were married in June 1970 and they moved to the North Side of Chicago, where they worked for public aid. Later, they moved to Park Forest, Illinois, where Marie was born in 1972 and Kathryn was born in 1974. After six brothers, Anne was delighted to have daughters.

Anne assisted the church in the settlement of Vietnamese refugees. She got two masters degrees: one in library science and one in psychology. She worked for twenty-two years for the Department of Children and Family Services, and at the end of her career she was a lead investigator. After she retired in 2002, she sewed dresses for Dress a Girl Around the World and made tie blankets for cancer patients, pillow cases for hospitalized children, and hundreds of masks for use in the COVID pandemic.

Bill and Anne were very involved with the Red Cross. Bill had a masters degree in social work and was a registered nurse. Their first Red Cross experience was in Baton Rouge, Louisiana in a shelter for Hurricane Katrina survivors. Counseling and resolving problems took much of their efforts, and Anne got the nickname of "Anne Marie ASAP." Afterwards, they assisted with refugees from five more hurricanes. When not volunteering their service, Anne and Bill enjoyed traveling extensively to Vietnam, China, India, and Africa.

Anne said that she had a very active and fulfilling life.

A visitation will be held on Tuesday, August 6, 2024, 4:00-7:00 PM at Friedrich-Jones Funeral Home & Cremation Services, 44 S. Mill Street, Naperville.

Additional visitation Thursday, August 8, 10:00-11:00 AM at Grace United Methodist Church, 300 E. Gartner Rd., Naperville, IL 60540, (630) 355-1748.

A celebration of Anne's life will follow Thursday, 11:00 AM at the church with Rev. Lynn Pries officiating.

Interment: Naperville Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Anne's memory may be made to: A Women's or Children's charity of the donor's choice.

For more information, please call (630) 355-0213 or visit www.friedrich-jones.com