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Barbara Ann Gillette Rey

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Barbara Ann Gillette Rey

Birth	:	20 Oct 1942 Saint Charles, St. Charles County, Missouri, USA
Death	:	28 Apr 2022 Weldon Spring, St. Charles County, Missouri, USA
Burial	:	Emmanuel United Church of Christ Cemetery, Weldon Spring, St. Charles County, USA
Coordinate	:	38.7121800, -90.6861900
Description	:	Emmanuel United Church of Christ. Founded 1866. Most of us glance at it without much of a second thought. But it truly means something – something in which all members of our congregation can take deep satisfaction and pride. For one thing it means that our church has been around since the end of the Civil War. But it also means something else, something even more substantial. It means that we have somehow managed to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ almost every week during that time without fail, despite whatever trials and tribulations... Read More	Emmanuel United Church of Christ. Founded 1866. Most of us glance at it without much of a second thought. But it truly means something – something in which all members of our congregation can take deep satisfaction and pride. For one thing it means that our church has been around since the end of the Civil War. But it also means something else, something even more substantial. It means that we have somehow managed to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ almost every week during that time without fail, despite whatever trials and tribulations that came our way. Such endurance is a testimony to the persistence, determination, courage and sheer grit of our steadfast members. Nowhere were these qualities more evident than they were in the character and person of Barb Rey. She was born Barbara Ann Gillette at St. Joseph Hospital in St. Charles on October 20th, 1942. Her parents, Vera and Percy Gillette, held a surprising combination of jobs while living on their Weldon Spring farm. Vera owned her own real estate company, employing Percy as her main agent. Besides working for his wife, Percy also was a Grade A dairy farmer, and even found time to sell school buses and hearses. Growing up amidst all of that diversity of activity, it is not surprising that Barb herself was an active child. She belonged to the local 4H club as well as to the Rainbow Girls (an order comprised of the daughters of Masons). She loved games of all kinds, especially card games, and frequented Youth Fellowship activities (especially the parades of floats down Highway 94) sponsored here at Emmanuel and even those at other churches. Her best friend in childhood and adolescence was Judy, with whom she was inseparable. Barb began her formal education at the R3 School (now Francis Howell) in St. Charles. An avid reader, she excelled at and enjoyed Reading and Writing classes there, and fondly recalls favorite teacher Mrs. Wilma Stewart [Memorial #107464946] (whom she was fortunate enough to have twice, in the sixth and eighth grades) as someone who was 'really good with students.' Later, she attended Francis Howell High School, whose classes then were held in the old TNT Buildings – which a decade or so earlier had served as barracks for World War II soldiers-in-training. The school authorities must have recognized more than just Barb's talents for writing, organizing and keeping accurate records, but also for an unassailable integrity. For she not only managed and kept score for the girl's basketball team, she also signed the coach's name to individual passes, permitting kids to get out of school – and even assisted several teachers in recording final grades on report cards. Upon graduation from high school, Barb attended and then graduated from a secretarial school in Maplewood. This special training paved the way for a highly unusual and intriguing job as secretary for the St. Louis County Police Department. From 1960–1964, she typed up innumerable reports from notes handwritten by officers on the road, which undoubtedly tested her skills at deciphering hieroglyphics. But her life was setting up for a big change. In 1963 she once volunteered as a waitress at the Circle K lounge owned by Judy Jaeger's Uncle, and there met a young 'flyboy' (newspaper jargon for a gopher) for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch named Tom Rey. She does not remember the details of their first date, but obviously something clicked: the two fell in love, and were married at our church the next year on October 3rd, 1964 (Reverend Phil Gruenke officiating). With her marriage, and with Tom's timely advancement to a unionized pressman position [Local 38N], Barb stopped working outside the home. But now with a house and soon two children (Tom Junior, born in 1965; and Robert, born in 1967) to watch and care for, she was working twice as hard inside it. The years then, as they do for all of us constantly preoccupied with day-to-day concerns, seemingly flew by. In 1974, Barb resumed working outside the home, becoming a full-time certified bus driver/trainer for the Francis Howell School District for the next twenty years. She and Tom raised their boys to become fine young men. When she had spare moments, Barb dedicated them either to her favorite pastimes (sewing and embroidery; and later, caring for their grandchildren Nicholas and Beth) or else to her involvement in organizations in our community. She joined the Eastern Star, a Masonic order for women, and attained the highest honor accorded a member – being named a Matron – and today still receives recognition from the society for that distinction, now being called a Past Matron. She also has been a longtime member of Emmanuel's Women's Fellowship, and now holds its highest position, that of President. The last sentence in the previous paragraph only hints at one of the greatest passions of Barb's entire life – Emmanuel Church. At every turn in her life, during each phase of her Christian development, Barb has embroidered her love for our church and its members into the fabric of her soul. She is perhaps the only person in our church who represented a family's fourth generation of membership –being preceded in lineage by great-grandfather Andrew Mergenthal, grandfather Melvin Mergenthal, and mother Vera Gillette, followed by the family's fifth, sixth and seventh generations in her two sons, a grandson and a granddaughter, and her great grandson, Brody, who arrived on January 20th, 2022. We were all truly blessed for her three months and eight days, she spent with Brody. Barb had been baptized, confirmed and married in our church, and her two sons, two grandchildren, and great grandson have all been baptized at the church. Barb, as a child and adolescent participated in and enjoyed our Youth Fellowship activities; as an adult, she has helped plan and organize activities for Youth Fellowship and Christian Education for new generations of kids to enjoy, including her own children and grandchildren. Besides her participation in Women's Fellowship, Barb also taught Sunday School and sat on our Church Council. She donated her time and skills in sewing and embroidery each year by designing beautiful crafts and quilts. Many of these were sold at the Sausage Supper, with the entire proceeds going to the church; others were simply donated to the church for long-term use (like the white curtains in the Fellowship Hall) or were given as gifts to members (such as the aprons, she surprised the members with at the Sausage Supper). Her dedication and devotion were tireless, and are all the more remarkable for the inner strength and courage that they reflect. For Barb was diagnosed in 1991 with pulmonary fibrosis, with a life expectancy then of only 3 to 5 years; followed by an untreated brain aneurysm, then a broken hip and finally cirrhosis of the liver. Barb never smoked, never drank nor did drugs. Barb, like our church itself, persevered despite the odds, and overcame them. Barb kept a positive outlook on life, focused on living 'a life with love of everyone.' In the end, perhaps we all would do well to adopt Barb's kindly philosophy, because it so closely echoes Christ's parting words to his disciples: 'Love one another, as I have loved you.' No better advice was ever given anywhere, anytime. Information from the Emmanuel United Church of Christ Newsletter.

frequently asked questions (FAQ):

Where is Barbara Ann Gillette Rey's memorial?
Barbara Ann Gillette Rey's memorial is located at: Emmanuel United Church of Christ Cemetery, Weldon Spring, St. Charles County, USA.
When did Barbara Ann Gillette Rey death?
Barbara Ann Gillette Rey death on 28 Apr 2022 in Weldon Spring, St. Charles County, Missouri, USA
Where are the coordinates of the Barbara Ann Gillette Rey's memorial?
Latitude: 38.7121800
Longitude: -90.6861900

Family Members:

Parent

Percy Hubbard Gillette

(1913 - 1991)

Vera Catharine Mergenthal Gillette

(1919 - 1989)

Siblings

Flowers:

Nearby Cemetories:

1. Emmanuel United Church of Christ Cemetery
Weldon Spring, St. Charles County, USA
Coordinate: 38.7121800, -90.6861900

2. Rosenthal Kessler Gillette Stephens Cemetery
Weldon Spring, St. Charles County, USA
Coordinate: 38.7153000, -90.6763200

3. Berg Cemetery
Weldon Spring Heights, St. Charles County, USA
Coordinate: 38.7044010, -90.6796070

4. Daniels Cemetery
Weldon Spring, St. Charles County, USA
Coordinate: 38.6942666, -90.6928333

5. Hutchings Burying Ground
Weldon Spring, St. Charles County, USA
Coordinate: 38.7024920, -90.7071810

6. Thomas Howell Cemetery
Weldon Spring, St. Charles County, USA
Coordinate: 38.7028008, -90.7099991

7. Roth-Camelot Subdivision Cemetery
Weldon Spring, St. Charles County, USA
Coordinate: 38.7080500, -90.6560570

8. Peter Hoffman Burying Ground
Cottleville, St. Charles County, USA
Coordinate: 38.7344350, -90.6625270

9. Wolf Cemetery
Cottleville, St. Charles County, USA
Coordinate: 38.7350006, -90.6521988

10. Pitman Cemetery
St. Charles County, USA
Coordinate: 38.7495800, -90.6850400

11. Saint Joseph Cemetery
Cottleville, St. Charles County, USA
Coordinate: 38.7436000, -90.6525000

12. Saint Johns United Church of Christ Cemetery
Cottleville, St. Charles County, USA
Coordinate: 38.7434480, -90.6521630

13. John Hoffman Burial Ground
Cottleville, St. Charles County, USA
Coordinate: 38.7374150, -90.6419280

14. Porter Cemetery
Weldon Spring, St. Charles County, USA
Coordinate: 38.7165666, -90.7431833

15. Francis Howell Cemetery
St. Charles County, USA
Coordinate: 38.7158012, -90.7442017

16. Hillenkamp Family Cemetery
Weldon Spring, St. Charles County, USA
Coordinate: 38.7096400, -90.6243100

17. Roth-Heck Cemetery
Hamburg, St. Charles County, USA
Coordinate: 38.6717400, -90.7262900

18. Mades Cemetery
Hamburg, St. Charles County, USA
Coordinate: 38.6727500, -90.7340100

19. Schneider Cemetery
Weldon Spring, St. Charles County, USA
Coordinate: 38.6734700, -90.7388300

20. Friedens German-English Evangelical Cemetery
Hamburg, St. Charles County, USA
Coordinate: 38.6680031, -90.7321014

21. Miller Cemetery
St. Charles County, USA
Coordinate: 38.7215700, -90.6139100

22. Dingledine Family Cemetery
Saint Charles, St. Charles County, USA
Coordinate: 38.7233391, -90.6042099

23. Dunlap Cemetery
Howell, St. Charles County, USA
Coordinate: 38.6825620, -90.7616620

24. Saint Philippine Cemetery
Saint Charles, St. Charles County, USA
Coordinate: 38.7199400, -90.6010400