Barbara A. Palin

Barbara Alice (Whitaker) Palin, 88 of Gaylord, passed away on Wednesday, November 13, 2024, at Woodland Acres in Gaylord, Michigan, surrounded by her family.

Barbara was born on December 4, 1935, in Mt. Pleasant, to Richard and Marion (Fuller) Whitaker. As an only child, Barbara grew up in Mt. Pleasant and graduated from Mt. Pleasant High School in 1954. She attended Central Michigan University graduating in 1958 with a Bachelor of Arts in English. 

While attending CMU she met Herbert "Bud" Palin. They were married days after she graduated on June 21, 1958, at the Methodist Church in Mt. Pleasant. They moved to Saginaw and started their family, having three daughters in three years. She and Bud just celebrated their 66th wedding anniversary in June this year. 

In 1969, Barbara and Bud took the trip of lifetime. With grandparents taking care of the kids, they embarked on a five-week trip around Europe, traveling in a Volkswagen Beetle they purchased at the factory in Germany. 

While living in Saginaw, Barbara worked as a substitute teacher. In 1971 they moved to Gaylord, where Barbara worked first at the Gaylord Herald Times and later at the Diocese of Gaylord, while Bud started a photography studio. They were past members of Gaylord First Congregational Church.

Barbara had a love for animals, especially horses and dogs. She always remembered her favorites from her youth, her horse, Texie, her childhood dog Toby, and her family's three miniature Schnauzers.

She loved her family and enjoyed spending time with them. She and Bud began playing Cribbage early in their life together, something they enjoyed through their more than 66 years.

Barbara enjoyed music throughout her life. This included singing at church and listening to her favorites including Henry Mancini, Herb Alpert, the Bee Gees, and others. 

She was an avid reader and writer of poetry. She authored a book and put together a family legacy book that included her family ancestry from the 1500’s to the present. She was proud of her English ancestry and that her relatives came to the United States on the Mayflower. Barbara was a member of Daughters of the American Revolution.

Her many talents and interests included cooking, mushroom hunting, and she was a ham radio operator, an interest she learned from her dad. Barbara and Bud survived the Gaylord Tornado of 2022, though their house took significant damage including the loss of well-loved trees planted when they first moved in.

Barbara is survived by her husband, Bud; daughters, Laurie Palin-Gray and her husband, Charles Gray of Haslett, Julia and her husband, Michael Tindall of Lansing, and Susan Palin and her husband, Jon Getchel of Lansing; grandchildren, Nathan Gray and his partner, Madeline Lag of Chicago, and Mackenzie Gray and her partner, Riley Combs of Aurora, Colorado; her first cousin, Bill Paullin of East Lansing; and her cousin, Marcia Powell of Grand Rapids. 

A memorial service will be held at 11:00 AM Monday, November 18, 2024 at Gaylord Community Funeral Home & Cremation Service where visitation will begin at 10:00 AM. Those who wish are asked to consider memorial contributions to Otsego County Animal Shelter or The Care Team Hospice. 

Interment will take place at Surry Township Cemetery in Farwell at a future date.

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