If you heard the name Doreen Barfoot, it may not ring a bell as she was known to everyone as “Teddy”!
Teddy was born on May 26, 1928 in Sullivan Township in the roaring twenties. She was the youngest of four; Verna (born May 12, 1921), Veneta (born August 21, 1923), Mel (born September 3, 1926) and Teddy. Their parents were Fredrick Henry “Harry” and Christina Minnie (Urbshott) Peters. Her siblings were the only ones who ever called her Doreen.
Teddy grew up in the depression years of the thirties. Teddy started school at Easter time in 1933 when she was 5 years old. She graduated with honours in June 1941, at the age of 13. She then moved to Wiarton to board with her Aunt this is where she attended high school and graduated. Her favourite subjects were art, literature and history.
She used to comment about growing up on the farm in Sullivan with her siblings and picking stones. She said they could pick all day and go out the next day and not have a clue where they had picked the day before.
In the forties, as a teenager, she saw the young neighbour boys dressed in uniforms ready to go to war while the young girls went to work in the munition factories. Teddy as a young woman worked in a shoe factory in Kitchener and returned to Owen Sound to work at Bell Canada.
Teddy took great pride in her looks, she never left the house unless her hair, makeup and dress was perfect. Even as late as this past July Teddy was asking, “What’s my hair look like?” before venturing out of Central Place in Owen Sound. Teddy was most famous for asking, “Do I look fur-nett (meaning do I look put together – a word she made up)?” Too cute!
It was Teddy’s stunning appearance that caught the eye of a young man Stewart Barfoot. They were married on January 6, 1951 and lived in Owen Sound until May, and at that time they moved in with Stew’s Mom and Dad on the farm. On July 18th, 1951 their 1st child Jim was born. In February of 1952 they bought a farm on the 7th of Elderslie Township. Once they settled it wasn’t long before they started to extend their family. On September 9th 1952 Bob was born, on July 15th 1955 Pat was born and on March 2nd, 1959 Scott was born. WOW the fifties where busy years, milking cows, taking care of 4 children, and remodelling the house for an indoor bathroom. Teddy took pride in her farmhouse decor with her ability to undertake major renovations on her own with the help of Stew, when really needed.
It wasn’t always work, social gatherings amongst friends, families, and neighbours were the fun times to be had. As the sixties approached the family grew even larger, Le-ann was born October 19th 1960, Nancy was born on December 3rd 1962 and Gwen was born on January 14th 1965. Around this time, Teddy and Stew decided to sell the cows to raise beef cattle. By the end of the sixties, the cars were moving faster and the teenage years were approaching just as fast. It wasn’t long and the wedding bells were ringing. Teddy spent many hours sewing bridesmaid’s dresses, baking and designing wedding cakes. Nothing was impossible in Teddy’s eyes. Her daughters-in-law and sons-in-law would agree she was the perfect Mother-in-Law. It has been written by one of the in-laws, “Teddy was the most beautiful and gracious lady. She always treated me like one of her own from the first day I met her.”
As years went by the joy of tiny feet filled the house and Teddy became Grandma and Great-Grandma. The great- grandchildren remember GG as always having something to pull out of her purse, whether it be a treat or money. They also remember the trivia questions they had to answer in order to get a treat. The truth is, Teddy always had treats on her kitchen table for anyone to help themselves. The kids also remember playing cards with her – she would act as though she had no idea how to play the game and then end up winning the pot.
Teddy was a remarkable seamstress and an excellent cook/baker. Every fall the pantry shelves were filled with canned goods. She sewed all her children’s clothing, prepared family meals and fed numerous men that helped on the farm. Her work became easier as there were labour-saving machines being invented such as toasters, vacuum cleaners and running hot water. As the girls matured, Teddy taught 4H Homemaking – sewing, crafts and baking. Of course, September also meant the Chesley Fall Fair! Teddy was busy helping the girls with their entries along with her own to be judged at the fair. Then it led into homemade Hallowe’en costumes and then to the busy task of making sure there were plenty of gifts under the tree at Christmas for everyone. She also enjoyed volunteering her time for community work.
Teddy always had a good joke or a story to share. She never got uptight about anything – even when the dining room table collapsed during Christmas dinner or when the kids rescued wildlife and brought them home for pets. However, Teddy would make sure the 3 ft. ruler was handy for Stew to use (if needed) at the kitchen table. What a scare tactic she invented.
She enjoyed their 25th wedding anniversary trip to Hawaii. She got to see the East and West Coast of Canada and enjoyed travelling to Florida in their motor home. Teddy and Stew would fit as many family members into their motor home and treat them to Story Book Park. Good times! She had a lot of great times being the bar-tender while riding shot-gun with Stew.
In 2003 Teddy and Stew retired from farming and moved to Tara. They enjoyed their new home and neighbours and their time in Tara together until Stew’s passing in April of 2006.
Teddy’s favourite sports team was the Blue Jays! She enjoyed rehashing sporting events with her brother, Mel. It was a huge loss to her when he passed as she had nobody to talk to about the games. Turner Classics was Teddy’s favourite TV channel. She loved the old classic movies. Gone With the Wind being her most favourite movie of all time! Teddy also enjoyed watching Hour of Power every week on TV with Robert Schuller when he was alive and more recently with his son Bobby Schuller. In all likelihood, it was while watching TV that she most enjoyed munching on her favourite – Lay’s Classic Chips. She loved salt and the more salt the better. To counteract the salt with the sweet she loved to eat Mars Bars. (What good taste!) She loved Country Western music and catching In Memoriam at noon hour. One would be put on hold if you dared to phone her at noon!
A book was always close by as Teddy was a voracious reader, usually finishing one to two books a week. Authors like James Patterson, John Grisham and Stephen King were some of her favourites. She loved reading biographies as she was a real history buff. In addition, there was a time when she read Reader’s Digest. The last book Teddy was reading was entitled, Who Killed Ty Conn, by Linden MacIntyre.
Teddy’s hobbies included sewing, needlepoint and reading. Live theatre productions were also a favourite. She was very artistic and spent many hours helping her children with school projects and homework. She enjoyed every addition to her collection of shoe ornaments. She loved bling!
Unfortunately, in 2007 Teddy had a stroke which paralyzed her left side, however, she was fortunate to be able to live on her own in Tara until the age of 91.
During this time she required some help with grocery shopping. “She could navigate her wheelchair up and down the aisle in the store and half the time no one could find her….She would fire stuff back to her family members to put in the cart and sometimes it would bounce off their head or shoulders.” Too funny!
It was only a few months ago when she had a fall that she decided it was time to move to Central Place Lodge in Owen Sound. Up until one week before Teddy passed she kept a daily diary/journal. You could ask her what happened on any given date from years past and she knew what the weather was like, if the crops were planted, or whatever.
She was a beautiful, classy, woman who was kind, caring and very intelligent. Teddy’s life span went from horse and buggy days through to high technology and 2 weeks before Teddy passed she bought her 1st cell phone. Thus, there are so many stories to tell from Teddy’s life. She will be dearly missed by her family and all who knew her.
Teddy passed away at Grey Bruce Health Services, Owen Sound on Saturday, September 14, 2019 in her 92nd year.
Loving mother of Jim (Daryl), Bob (Joyce McDonald), Patricia (Juan) Sanchez, Scott (Cheryl), Le-ann Cumming (Brian McAllister), Nancy (George) Maxwell and Gwen (Paul) Waymouth. Teddy will live on in the hearts and minds of her grandchildren, Steve (Aryn), Angela (Jamie), Mike (Nicole), Melissa, Chris, Paul (Tanya), Rosalyn, Mark (Patrick), Nicole (Stephen), Dustin, Bill (Victoria), Joe (Evelyne), Kim (Jeremy), Kelly (Mark), Brent, Lindsay (Chris) and Danielle. GG will be dearly missed by Talya, Piper, Austin, Anderson, Jazlyn, Will, Nash, Lucas, Parker, Benjamin, Lennon, Taylor, Jack, Kylie, Brynn, Keith, Rory and Lauren. Teddy was predeceased by her husband Stewart (2006), son-in-law Glen Cumming, great-grandson Benjamin Barfoot, sisters Verna Maluskie, Venetta Walker and brother Mel Peters.
A casual, come and go celebration of Teddy’s life will be held at Tara Legion (86 River St.) on Saturday, October 5, 2019 from 2 – 4 p.m. Inurnment in Hillcrest Cemetery, Tara.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations to Owen Sound Hospital Foundation or Chapman House would be appreciated as expressions of sympathy.
