NELLIE MORRISON JOHNSTON BARNARD

PORTLAND and ST. FRANCIS Nellie Barnard died Jan. 29, 2004, in Portland. She was born Jan. 11, 1917, in St. Francis, the second daughter of Gilbert and Sadie McPherson Morrison. She was educated in the St. Francis schools before the high school was destroyed by fire. Her parents were farmers in summer and lumberers in winter. She enjoyed working with them in both occupations. As a young girl, she was on a tow boat on the St. John River. In 1932, she worked doing cooking for a log drive at Glazier Lake. Then, in the winter of 1936-1937, while her father was lumbering, she cooked for 32 men in a camp at Morrill Shed on the St. John River. That year she was taken by dog sled to spend Christmas with friends. In March of 1937, she married Clarence Johnston at the United Baptist Church in Caribou. They settled in Fort Fairfield, where they raised four children; two sons and two daughters. In 1972, Clarence died suddenly. Later in 1977, Nellie married Leon Barnard in the Bethel Baptist Church in Fort Fairfield. From then until 1995, she and her husband wintered in Florida. In 1986, she and Mr. Barnard moved from his home in Springfield, Vt. to Portland. They loved to travel through Maine and to other states staying at Bed and Breakfasts as they went. Any means of travel was enjoyable to them; car, bus or train. Other than an earlier camping trip made to Europe and traveling through seven countries, which was a wonderful experience, the high-light of her trips was a 17-day trip through the Canadian Rockies that she made with Mr. Barnard. Mrs. Barnard had many hobbies and interests. In fact, she had a knack for making life interesting. She was an excellent cook and enjoyed camping. She loved houseplants, which never died with her and making ceramics which she showed and sold in Portland in spring and fall. She was a quilt maker finishing her last quilt in June 2003 for her granddaughter. As a young woman she worked for a milliner and over the years made a hobby of collecting fascinating hats. In her later years, she started writing her autobiography “Nellie’s Travels.” She was a member of the Fort Fairfield Grange, the Pomona Grange and the Maine State Grange and Ceres Circle in Portland. She was a member of the Central Square Baptist Church in Portland. When in Florida, she attended the First Presbyterian Church in Mount Dora. She was predeceased by her first husband, Clarence Johnston and her second husband, Leon Barnard, who died in 1993,and also a brother, Cyrus Morrison of Ohio. She is survived by her four children, Mrs. Carl (Barbara) Fournier of Portland, Marcia Becker of Richmond, Ill., Richard A. Johnston of Sanford and Kenneth W. Johnston of Portland; as well as her stepchildren; Beverly Archambault of Bedford, N.H., and Robert Barnard of New Port Richie, Fla.; her grandchildren, Kevin Fournier of Standish, Shawn Fournier of Casco, Lisa Becker of Chicago, Ill., Christian Becker of Richmond, Ill, Rich Johnston of South Carolina, and Jason K. Johnston of Presque Isle. She is also survived by five great-grandchildren; many stepgrand-children and great-stepgrand-children; six sisters Cora Johnson of Portland, Hazel Tilley of St. Francis, Vesta Moir of Woodland, Mrs. Arnold (Luella) Palm of Caribou, Mrs. Clark (Phyllis) McBrearity of Allagash, Patricia Kelly of Allagash; and a brother, Merton Morrison and his wife, Phoebe, of St. Francis; a sister-in-law, Dorothy Morrison of Ohio and many nieces and nephews. A memorial service will be held 11 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2004, at Clark Memorial United Methodist Church, 15 Pleasant Ave., Portland. A graveside service will be held in the spring at Riverside Cemetery in Fort Fairfield. Those who desire may make contributions in her memory to the Clark Memorial United Methodist Church, 15 Pleasant Ave., Portland, ME 04103. Arrangements by Jones, Rich & Hutchins Funeral Home, 199 Woodford St., Portland.