Barbara L. Brigham, a 57-year Wheaton resident, died on December 4th, in Wynscape Care Center. She was 93. Born in Monmouth, Illinois on 2-1-21, Barbara Jean Lindstrom spent many happy hours on The Maplewood Farms, established by her great grand mother, Mary Bliss Wellman Sprout, who represented the confluence of two pre-colonial families that left Devonshire, England in 1636 to become a part of the newly established Massachusetts Bay Colony. Barbara's 8th great grandparents, Thomas and Margaret Bliss, later left the colony to found The City of Hartford, Conn. Barbara graduated from Galesburg High School in 1939, before entering Knox College as an economics major/French minor and joining the sisterhood of Alpha Xi Delta. With the onset of WWII, Barbara left Knox to joint the W.A.A.C., but was denied entry due to chronic anemia. After what she described as "a brief and monumentally unfulfilling" few months as a Federal Reserve auditor and part-time fashion model in Los Angeles, Barbara began a career as a stewardess, first with Capital Airlines, and later with United and TWA. A career in aviation had been suggested by friend and aviation pioneer William Lear, who felt Barbara well-suited for a career in the industry. During her years as a stewardess, Barbara continued riding, took up skeet shooting and skiing, learned to fly and began playing golf. She also participated in a variety of publicity campaigns and corresponded with dozens of men a women serving overseas. After the war, Barbara became a wife and mother, but never lost her love of flying and world travel. She particularly loved London and Buenos Aries, but recently surprised her family when she named Tanzania as her favorite travel destination. Barbara was a survivor. She made it past a dangerously low birthweight of 3 lbs. 9 oz. a near fatal riding accident at age 10, a hotel fire and two forced landings. It took a fractured femur to finally ground her at age 93. Barbara loved her family, best friend of 90 years, Donna Mae Wetzel, horses (Speedee and Cyclone), golf, flying, the Cubs (ugh), the Bulls, good scotch, Stan Musial, Arnold Palmer, dancing to Glenn Miller, Lucky Debonair, Secretariat, the CSO, The Stork Club, Ciro's, The Broadmoor, Bar Harbor, Treetops-Aberdare, Ferragamo, The 28 Shop and United Airlines. Her most prized possession was her DC-3-100 cockpit key. Barbara outlived three husbands, Atwell Lincoln III, David A. Johnson and Charles Ilsley Brigham II. She treasured each one, and considered herself particularly fortunate to have met Charlie after losing David to cancer. Together, they traveled the world. Barbara is survived by sons David A. (Lynn) Johnson II, of Wheaton, IL. and Dr. Craig (Martha) Johnson, of Williams Bay, WI., as well as stepchildren Charles Brigham III, Emily Foster, Sarah (David) Johnston, Mary (Charles) Reynolds and David (Maura) Brigham. Grandchildren include Lauren, Stefan, Brandt and Derek Johnson, along with 12 step- grandchildren, seven step- great grandchildren and two step-great great grandchildren. Rites will be held Dec. 17, at 11 AM, at Trinity Episcopal Church, Wheaton, with burial to follow at Wheaton Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in Barbara's name to the Illinois Wesleyan Golf Team, Bloomington, IL., Knox College, Galesburg, IL, Carthage College, Kenosha, WI., or Smith College, Northampton, MA.

Brigham is her 2nd married name. Her first married name was Johnson. She is buried with her first husband David Johnson.
No death date is given on marker.

Map of Wheaton cemetery showing burial location. Section C, Lot 439, Grave 4