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: Willis (Watson), Barbara : Rocke Warren June 24, 2014, 03:42:41 PM Barbara ?Barbie? (Willis) Watson, 77, of Cottage Grove died suddenly and unexpectedly on June 9, 2014.
She was born Jan. 15, 1937 in Cottage Grove to Frank and Luella (Vanderberg) Willis. She graduated with the Cottage Grove High School class of 1954. She served in the Air Force from April 1955 to Nov. 1957. In 1963, she received a BA in Music with a teaching certificate from Seattle Pacific College. On Aug. 17, 1963 in Cottage Grove, she and Charles Watson were married. They were together 15 years. In addition to working as a wife and mother, Mrs. Watson taught piano lessons for more than 15 years, held various office and piano performance jobs and later invested all her energy in her artistic passions. Barbie loved Jesus and depended on Him daily; one of her favorite pastimes was hand-writing scripture cards for friends, relatives and anyone else she thought needed some. She also enjoyed late-night games of Trivial Pursuit, playing everything from Honkey Tonk to Bach on the piano, walking the beaches of Florence or Coos Bay collecting shells and watching the waves, crocheting slippers, dresses and blankets for her grandchildren, reading, watching movies over cocoa with good friends and visiting with her family on the phone. Survivors include a son, Lyle Watson of Kennewick Wash., a daughter, Merri (Watson) Mickelson of Morrill, Minn. and son-in-law Ken Mickelson of Morrill, Minn., a sister, Orpha (Willis) Hales of Cottage Grove and 10 grandchildren. She was preceded in death by a sister, Pauline (Willis) Payne of Cottage Grove, in February 2013. A celebration of life will be held on Saturday, June 21, at 10 a.m. at First Baptist Church, 301 S. 6th St., in Cottage Grove. |