Obituary: Barbara Blodgett Vannier, 91



Barbara Blodgett Vannier, 91, died on Nov. 28, at the Princeton Care Center with her children at her bedside. Born April 15, 1920, in Fredonia, N.Y., Barbara was the oldest child of Julia Stone and Boyd Blodgett, owners of a grape farm in Chautauqua County. She received a B.A. in music from what is now the State University of New York at Fredonia. For most of her career, she worked as a mechanical draftsperson at Niagara Machine and Tool Company in Buffalo, New York.

After retiring, Barbara and her husband moved to Florida. While there, at age 67, she took up sculpting. Following the death of her husband 11 years ago, Barbara moved to Lawrence Township to be near her children and grandchildren.

She found a second home at the Lawrence Township Senior Center, where she put her sculpting skills to use teaching sculpture classes. She was also active in the Center's knitting and crocheting group and Spanish class. In the last few years, Barbara participated in Lawrence Public Library's Memoir Writing Group. Active, optimistic and caring throughout her life, Barbara will be greatly missed and fondly remembered by her family, friends, and neighbors.

Wife of the late Philip Vannier and sister of the late Luther Blodgett, Barbara is survived by her daughter, Jean, and son-in-law, Mario Yepes, and her son, Steven Vannier, all of Lawrence; her brother James Blodgett of Seminole, Fla.; and her grandchildren, Julia Yepes of Brooklyn, N.Y., and Nicholas Yepes of Lawrence.

A memorial service will be held at the Presbyterian Church of Lawrenceville at 11 a.m. on Monday, Dec. 5, with Rev. Jeffrey Vamos officiating. In lieu of flowers, the family would like to suggest memorial contributions to HomeFront, Doctors without Borders, or the Nature Conservancy. Arrangements are by the Wilson-Apple Funeral Home, 2560 Pennington Rd., Pennington.