Barbara Ann Groom

Barbara Ann Grooms

Barbara Ann Grooms, 93, passed away May 6 in Madison, Wisconsin. She was born February 5, 1933, to her parents, Howard and Lottie Moe, in McKeesport, Pennsylvania.

Her family moved to Port Chester, New York, when she was two years old. She was raised there along with her older sister, Marilyn, and graduated from Port Chester Senior High School in 1950.

Barbara knew she wanted to become a teacher at the ripe old age of 10. Many of her summer vacation days were spent teaching young children in her neighborhood. She was offered a four-year scholarship at Hunter College in New York City but said her father was protective of her and didn’t think New York was a good place for a young woman to attend college. She then went to work as a laboratory assistant for American Cyanamid. Two years later she convinced her parents to allow her to attend a small Methodist college in Kansas City, Missouri. She longed to assert her independence and try living in another part of the country, she said. She studied at National College in Kansas City for two years until its education major was discontinued, at which time she transferred to the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

While still a student at National College she met her soon-to-be husband, Horace Walker Grooms, at a square dance. They were married in 1954. She graduated from the University of Missouri-Kansas City in 1956, and that fall they welcomed their first son, Richard Howard Grooms. They welcomed their second son, John William Grooms, in 1958.

Barbara taught at the Overland Park Cooperative Preschool in Overland Park, Kansas, where the family lived for about 15 years. They relocated to Madison, Wisconsin, in 1968 after Horace joined the Wisconsin Life Insurance Company where he was a CPA. Barbara taught preschool for a year before becoming a kindergarten teacher at the Randall Elementary School in Madison. Two years later, she transferred to Madison’s John Muir Elementary where she taught kindergarten for another 24 years.

“I really enjoyed working with this age group,” she said. “They were bright, funny and so eager to learn,” she said.

She also enjoyed working with college-age students while a cooperative teacher with the University of Wisconsin. She helped to train more than 70 student teachers.

“I always felt I learned as much from them as they learned from me because they, too, were eager to practice their skills and ideas,” she said. “It also gave me a sense of continuity so that when I became too old to teach I could feel like I was still contributing to the field of education.”

During her years as a teacher, she earned recognition from the University of Wisconsin as Outstanding Teacher of Teachers. She earned the Christa McAuliffe Fellowship, administered by the United States Department of Education. She also earned the Madison Metropolitan School District’s Golden Apple Award and Distinguished Service Award.

For more than 25 years, Barbara was a member and past president of the Delta Chapter of Alpha Delta Kappa, an honorary teachers’ sorority. She retired from teaching in 1994.

She was a member and past president of the Metropolitan Womans Club of Madison. She also was active as a member of the First United Methodist Church in Madison and St. Luke’s Lutheran Church in Middleton.

Barbara had a ready smile and a frequent wink. She had many dear friends with whom she enjoyed traveling, spending summer stays in Manitowish Waters, playing bridge, attending concerts and plays – especially at the Fireside Dinner Theatre – and watching Badger and Packer games. She loved to entertain and always set a beautiful table. She decorated for every holiday and remembered everyone’s birthday. She also became involved in making beautiful greeting cards.

She loved to laugh and believed in the saying that “a day without laughter is a day not worth living.”

She was a sweet and generous person, often shopping for the perfect gift.

She also was a proud grandmother, fondly called “Grandma Barb and Great Grandma Barb” by her grandchildren and great-granddaughter.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Horace; parents; her sister, Marilyn; and brother-in-law Robert Benson.

She is survived by her sons and daughters-in-law, Richard and Lynn Grooms, Mt. Horeb, Wisconsin; and John Grooms and Cindy Lafarga, Middleton, Wisconsin; her grandson, Richard Grooms, Jr., Hartford, South Dakota; and granddaughters, Hannah (David) Kacprzak, Middleton, Wisconsin; Jennifer (Eli) Ulanet, Denver, Colorado; great-granddaughter, Grace Grooms, Janesville, Wisconsin, and two great-grandsons, Theo Kacprzak and Reed Ulanet.

The Grooms family wants to especially thank the wonderful and caring staff at All Saints Neighborhood in Madison where Barbara lived for many years. Your many kindnesses and good care of Barbara will always be remembered.

The family also is grateful to Agrace, which provided resources and a visiting Agrace nurse for the past several months.

Cress Funeral and Cremation Services also is posting the obituary at cressfuneralservice.com.

A Celebration of Life service will begin at 1 p.m., Friday, May 15 at St. Luke’s Lutheran Church, 7337 Hubbard Ave., Middleton, Wisconsin. Light refreshments will be served following the service. Barbara requested an upbeat celebration of life. In honor of that, the family encourages you to wear her favorite color, blue, or Badger gear for her beloved football team instead of black. Go Badgers!

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Barbara’s name to the Wisconsin Delta Educators Scholarship Fund, 19 Wood Brook Way, Fitchburg, WI 53711.

Please share your memories at www.cressfuneralservice.com

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6021 University Ave. Madison

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