Barbara R. Buckmaster

Barbara Buckmaster of Richmond was born Barbara Ruth Battershell on July 19, 1934, to Emory and Theresa Battershell in New Philadelphia, Ohio, the third of three children that included Robert and Eileen. Barbara died peacefully on Christmas Day, 2023 at Reid Hospital under the watchful eye of family and hospice after a year and a half battle with acute myeloid leukemia, a dangerous form of blood cancer. She enjoyed more than a year of remission. Barbara graduated in 1956 from Baldwin Wallace college in Berea, Ohio with a bachelor’s degree in botany. She became a master gardener and carried a lifelong passion for plants which were always in and around her home, often in full bloom. She usually had a group of gardener friends in close touch including arranging flowers for many services at church and in the community. She met her husband, Marlin Buckmaster, in Midland, Michigan during the summer of 1957 at a Methodist youth group while working at Dow Chemical. They married September 7th, 1958 moving to Ann Arbor, Michigan for Marlin to pursue a PhD in chemistry while Barbara worked at the University of Michigan hospital. Family and working life evolved with the arrival of sons James in 1962 and Michael in 1964 and moving first to Wilmington, Delaware for Marlin’s work followed by transfers to West Virginia to Michigan and back. Parkersburg, West Virginia was their home for most of their working life with St Pauls United Methodist church as the focal point of their social life there. Barbara was a talented musician playing the piano, harpsichord, guitar, cello, viola da gamba and early woodwind instruments such as the recorder and crumhorn, playing for some years in an early music consortium. She sang in the choir for many years at St. Pauls and played in the bell choir, the self-proclaimed “dingalings”. Sadly, her music faded in her later years due to hearing impairment. Barbara was a tax preparer after raising her sons as a way to help pass the slow days of winter. She became an enrolled agent (certified by US Treasury) and worked some 10 years for H & R Block then on a volunteer basis with the VITA program. Barbara was also a longstanding active member of the League of Women Voters, a nonpartisan organization, where she helped register voters and inform them on the ballot and issues of the day. Marlin and Barbara were happily married these past 65 years. Retirement took them from West Virginia to the Friends Fellowship Community in Richmond in 2013 to be closer to family. Marlin will continue to live at Friend’s Fellowship. Barbara is also survived by her son Michael and daughter-in-law Louise both of Richmond, son James of San Francisco as well as her grandson Nicholas Buckmaster on whom she doted frequently as he works at FFC and was her occasional Euchre partner on Friday nights. She will be missed by all who knew her. A memorial service will be held at the Friend’s Fellowship Community Room on Saturday January 6th at 2030 Chester Blvd in Richmond, IN. Receiving will begin at 1:00 p.m. with a celebration of life ceremony starting a 2:00 p.m. She may be remembered with a gift to Reid Hospice or Friend's Fellowship Community. Condolences may be sent to the family via the guestbook at: www.doanmillsfuneralhome.com

Barbara R. Buckmaster

July 19, 1934 - December 25, 2023