Elizabeth Barton bio
Elizabeth Finch was born on September 22, 1959, in Oxford. Her parents, Julius and Margaret, were elated to finally have a daughter after four sons.
Lizzie, as her brothers called her, was frequently sick in her early years. She was prone to catch colds and infections, and her family tried very hard to protect her from being ill. If one of her brothers was sick, he wasn't allowed anywhere near Lizzie. She hated that because she was the center of attention when everyone was well.
She did well in school and had her older brothers watch out for her, but she had to learn that she wasn't the most important child in class. Once she understood that, she felt even closer to her family and couldn't wait for school to let out so she could rush home.
When she was 14, she met another young teen while shopping. They both felt an instant connection, and before long, Steve Marshall was her best friend. They were inseparable in those days, and as a result, the Finches and Marshalls became friends too and eventually became like one giant family.
In high school, Elizabeth was a good student and participated in many extracurricular activities. She had had friends in many different circles and dated several boys, but none of those relationships were mutually serious until Joseph Barton. Near the end of her senior year, she met Joe at the local theater while waiting in line for tickets. When they met again the following weekend, Joe asked her to have a soda with him after the movie. Elizabeth agreed, and Joe loved her from that night on.
Within a few months, Joe asked Elizabeth to marry him, and she said yes. The Finches and the Marshalls loved Joe almost as much as Elizabeth did and turned out in droves to celebrate the wedding. Not long after the marriage, Elizabeth and Joe's only son, Jimmy, was born.
Joe died suddenly on June 14, 2000, and Elizabeth has never gotten over it. In the months following, her only comfort was Jimmy, who spent a lot of time with his mother and helped her get past the worst of the mourning period.
When Elizabeth joined the DAR chapter in 2002, she met Pauline Jones, and they became fast friends. Pauline lost her husband that same year, and the shared grief brought the women even closer.
Today, Elizabeth lives alone, as does Pauline, so they spend a lot of time together. They enjoy movies, bowling, Senior Citizen Center parties, and other activities around Oxford.
Elizabeth is still good friends with Steve Marshall and his wife, Ellen, and the Finches and Marshalls still socialize together often,
This summer, Elizabeth attended the Marshall family reunion as she's done every year since she and Steve became friends.
