Adeline Grace Barrett Corkins

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Adeline Helgestad Barrett Corkins died Saturday, March 17, 2007, at Fletcher Allen Health Care after a short illness.

Mrs. Corkins was born in Albion, Wis., on April 29, 1917, the daughter of Norwegian immigrants Bergliot and Peter Helgestad. She lived in the Edgerton, Wis., area where she, along with her parents and brothers, planted and harvested tobacco, oats and corn.

On Aug. 25, 1940, she married Dr. George Barrett and lived in the Madison, Wis., area until World War II, when she returned to the family farm to work the fields in place of her brothers who had joined the war effort, while her husband traveled, doing war rations procurement for the Department of Agriculture.

George and Adeline Barrett had four children: Frank, Kay, Glen and David, who predeceased her in 1947. In 1949, the family relocated to Brattleboro, when Dr. Barrett took a position with Holstein-Friesian Association of America.

Countless people in the Brattleboro area enjoyed the products of their love for gardening; among these, the vast gardens of daffodils that adorned Welcome Hill in Chesterfield, N.H. Their gardens were the first of the many daffodil vistas on the hill. Throughout the year, many visitors enjoyed the gifts of flowers, apples, cider and maple syrup that were shared with them. Many people will remember sitting and sharing Adelaide's Norwegian delicacies with a cup of coffee.

After Dr. Barrett's death in 1965, she and her children continued to live on Welcome Hill. She worked in several area restaurants as a hostess and relocated to Lebanon, N.H., in 1973 to manage the North Country Shop, in White River Junction, which brought her into contact with countless area craftspeople.

She herself was an accomplished quilter and needle worker. In 1975, she married John (Jack) Corkins; he predeceased her in 1977. Mrs. Corkins relocated once again in 1980 to Colchester Village to be near her daughter Kay and her young family. She took a position at Garden Way, where she worked until her retirement in 1982. She continued to quilt, garden and landscape at her home at Village Commons and was a frequent visitor to local garden centers, farmstands and plant nurseries. In 2001, she relocated to the Pines in South Burlington. Gardening was her passion throughout her life.

She was a treasure to her family and friends. She enjoyed the small moments of life; a cup of coffee with a friend, a walk through the woods to discover what was blooming, and a laugh at the amusing side of life. She had many friends through the years.

She is survived by her children, Frank Barrett of Henderson, N.C., Kay Barrett-Vascik of Burlington and Glen Barrett of Blue Diamond, Nev.; six grandchildren Eric and Lars, Jeremy and Matthew, Kirsten and Serena, and five great-grandchildren, Taylor, Dylan, Hailey, Cody and Jade. She is also survived by three brothers and their families: Lloyd Helgestad of Edgerton, Wisc., Robert Helgestad of Stoughton, Wisc.; and Kenneth Helgestad of Walker, Minn.