Barbara Jean Mann

Barbara Jean (Wells) Mann passed from this life on Tuesday November 11th at the age of 86. Born in Brockton Massachusetts, she was the daughter of the late Robert and Jean Wells and sister of the late Ann Kopke. Barbara grew up in Whitman Massachusetts surrounded by friends from school and church where she met her husband of sixty-five years, Loren. They married on October 2, 1960, and moved into a small second floor apartment above his parent's home on Linden Street in Whitman. For a time, Barbara worked in the home economics department at the Brockton Edison Company where she honed her considerable culinary skills.

Not long after their marriage, she and Loren purchased the family homestead in Duxbury and proceeded to renovate the eighteenth century farmhouse themselves, a task that was never quite completed with one project overlapping another over time. She was quite convinced that she was moving to the wild frontier when they relocated to Duxbury in late 1962. It wasn't long before she discovered other new mothers that had similarly moved to the frontier and new friendships were born. Barbara's sister Ann met her future husband Walter Kopke who lived across the street with his four sons. Ann and Walter soon married, and the two sisters and their families wore a path between their houses over the years.

For over thirty years Barbara was an enumerator for the National Agricultural Statistics Service within the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In this role, she interviewed farmers all over southern New England to gather raw data that was used to produce reports on all manner of crops, from chickens to cranberries. Although strictly forbidden by policy, she kept meticulous records of each farmer she encountered – names of spouses, children, interesting personal tidbits, etc. – all with the goal of establishing lasting relationships that overcame the farmer's reluctance in talking to The Government.

Agriculture was a central part of Barbara's home life as well. No sooner than she moved to Duxbury, a procession of livestock began at the house in Duxbury. Dozens of cows, sheep, chickens, and turkeys kept the farm busy at all hours of the day and night. Barbara did have her limit, however – pigs. Never satisfied staying in their pen, the pigs were constantly getting out and roaming the neighborhood and were very vocal in their objection to returning.

Barbara is survived by her husband of sixty-five years, Loren and her three children, Robert (Eileen) of Sandwich, David (Lisa) of Mattapoisett and Julie of Duxbury. She was blessed with five grandchildren, Emily (Brody) Hollett of Somerville, Abigail Mann of Quincy, Rebecca Mann of Sandwich, Logan Mann, and Zackary Mann, both of Mattapoisett.

Please join us at the Shepherd Funeral Home, 216 Main St., Kingston for visiting hours on Thursday November 20th from 4:00 to 7:00 pm. and for services on Friday November 21st at 10:00 am. Burial to follow at Center Cemetery, 45 Oldham Street, Pembroke.