Barbara Gatchell Raech, age 83, of Earleville, MD passed away on Monday, May 1 ^st , 2023.

Born Barbara Joan Gatchell in Elkton, MD, on December 23, 1939, she was the daughter of the late Earl Gatchell and Edna McKinney Gatchell of North East, MD. One of ten children, Barbie as she was known to family and friends, started life in a row house in North East with 7 siblings, where the older girls often had to stay home and watch the younger siblings while their parents worked. Then when she was nine years old the family moved to Route 7 on the outskirts of Charlestown, MD. Barbie remembered hauling water from the creek near their house because the family didn't have indoor plumbing until she was 17. While growing up her father worked for the B & O railroad and taught all of them how to read the train signals. She often spoke of how her siblings and her mother would walk up the train tracks next to their house, catch a train to Wilmington, DE so they could shop at the Wilmington Dry Goods store. This was always a special excursion for them. After moving to route 7 and when they weren't in school, Barbie and her sisters helped with the daily washing & ironings that their mother did for a living on a wringer washer and line drying year round. Barbie graduated from North East High School in 1957. After she graduated from High School, Barbie worked for Bayshore Industries, a Toy Company in Elkton, where she was a telephone operator. Later she worked for Thiokol Chemical Corporation as a secretary before becoming a full time homemaker in 1964. In 1962 Barbie met her future husband Paul at the bowling alley in Elkton, MD. On April 11, 1964, they were married in the North East Methodist Church. They first resided in Bay View Estates in Earleville from 1964 to 1974, during which time two daughters were born., Paula in 1964 and Donna in 1967. In 1974, with her husband Paul acquiring a new job they moved to a farm on Grove Neck Road in Earleville where they have resided since. Once living in Earleville Barbie attended Zion and St. Paul's United Methodist Church in Cecilton and Earleville, where she taught Sunday School for many years. She was a Title One volunteer at Cecilton Elementary School in the 1970's where one of her favorite memories was helping to paint the Charlie Brown characters on the cafeteria walls. She was also a room mother for many years as her daughters attended school there. Barbie and Paul were members of the Farm Bureau. Barbie and Paul also ran a duck/goose picking business from 1978 until the early 80's. Her hobbies included bowling, gardening, reading, playing cards, and yard sales and tv movies. Barbie and her husband Paul along with her sister Jean and brother-in-law Bill bowled for years on the Sunday Night Twilight league at Elk (Cecil) Lanes in Elkton, MD. Known as the "Four R's" they were consistently First Place champs. They also enjoyed many Vacations with them and their children and hanging out on the weekends. Barbie enjoyed hosting the annual Fourth of July picnic for over twenty years for her family plus ice skating and sledding parties. She always had nieces and nephews down to the farm for a week or two in the summer to enjoy the farm. In later years she put her care giving skills to the test again by taking care of all five of her grandchildren at one time or another. Barbie grew a huge garden every year which supplied her family with an abundance of food which they enjoyed all year long. The family will always remember the nights spent shelling lima beans to the long days of digging potatoes and putting up sweet corn. She also enjoyed family vacations to Ocean City, MD., Disney World, the New England states; Virginia; Myrtle Beach, SC and most recently Ocracoke, NC.

Barbie is survived by daughters; Paula Raech of Earleville, Donna Craig and husband Scott of Earleville. Grandchildren, Sabrina Eveland and husband Buddy of Earleville; Trevor Craig and wife Marsha of Earleville; Raechel Stillwell and husband Justin of Philadelphia, PA; Alexandra Craig (Kris) of Conowingo and Savana Craig (Ryan) of Earleville. Five great grandchildren: Ronnie, Adam and Chloe Eveland and Kira and Karlie Craig all of whom she adored. Sisters: Betty Noel of Perryville; Jean Racine and husband Bill of Elkton; Darlene Gatchell of Elkton; Brother Roger Gatchell and wife Rosemary of North East; In-laws; Ruth Pouska, William Raech, Patricia Raech and Kay Long. 11 nieces; 9 nephews and many great nieces and nephews. In addition to her parents, Barbie was preceded in death by her husband Paul of 58 years in July 2022. Brothers: Richard, Earl and Robert Gatchell; sister, Shirley Boyd Andrews. The first born Doris, died in infancy. In-laws: Jerry Pouska, Jack Noel, Norma Gatchell, Henry (Sonny) Long and Jim Andrews.

Funeral Service will be held at Galena Funeral Home of Stephen L. Schaech, Galena, MD on Monday, May 8 at 12 pm, where visitation will begin at 11 am. Interment will be at St. Stephen's Cemetery, Earleville, immediately following the service.