Virginia "Boots" Barrett

Virginia Barrett, age 90, passed away September 20, 2019 at William Childs Hospice House. Born Virginia May Allen on July 2, 1929 in Tunnelton, IN to Julia Ann (Wilcox) Allen and Oliver Perry Allen. They nicknamed her "Boots" after a newspaper cartoon of the day called "Boots & Her Buddies". She married Clifford Lee Barrett on Dec. 31, 1947 who passed Sept. 23, 1977. Together they had six children: Linda Lyden, Robin Biles, Cindy Schmidt, Jay Barrett, Julie Sidaway (Brian) and Judie Bracken (Patrick) who survive her, plus 7 grandchildren, 7 great grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild. Family was everything to Boots including her two sisters Iva and Margaret, and five brothers: Herman, Roy, Harry, John and Bill Allen who all pre-deceased her. Also numerous nieces and nephews. She moved to Palm Bay Estates Senior Park in 1987 where she enjoyed a long retirement playing cards, bingo, exercising in the pool and her many friends and 'Buddies' there. She was the park historian for a while keeping up the scrapbooks on the news articles, obituaries, and activities of the people there. She also did that on her own family as the 'go to' person for any genealogy questions, so we have lots of scrapbooks and photo albums with memories to remember our times together. Thanks Mom! She also enjoyed her time with the American Legion, the Red Hat Club, and especially writing poetry. One night, she actually dreamed a poem and quickly wrote it down. It was published in "Our World's Most Cherished Poems". She called it "My Favorite Place". During the depression, Boots would tag along to the woods while her mother gathered salad greens for supper using her apron as a bowl. Not knowing which greens to pick, Boots helped by collecting flowers for the table. "My Favorite Place" My favorite place is in the woods with flowers all around. I gather up my favorite ones and weave for me a crown. I find the jack-in-the-pulpit and the lilac so blue, Then I find the larkspur and gather quite a few. Then I find the wishing flower that has all the fuzz, And play the game "he loves me not, he loves me yes he does". When I'm tired of playing the princess with a crown, I lay it ever so gently, down upon the ground. Hoping a bird will come along and take it for her nest, And lay her speckled eggs on the flowers that I like best. Fountainhead Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. Family services will be private.