Barbara J. Mabe, a former World War II defense worker and Baltimore Sun route owner, died Oct. 17 from complications of a stroke at her Ellicott City home. She was 98.

Barbara Joan Litchfield, daughter of William Litchfield, a carpenter, and Helen Volckman Litchfield, a homemaker, was born and raised in Ellicott City, where she spent her entire life.

After graduating in 1944 from Ellicott City High School, she joined the war effort when she went to work as a “Rosie the Riveter” at the old Glenn Martin Aircraft Co. in Middle River, building Martin Marauder bombers.

“She wrote a piece about that. She talked about getting on the bus with the other young women and during her training how her instructor put a revit through her finger. He felt awfully bad about that,” said a daughter, Mitzi Mabe, of Ellicott City.

“She talked about the food the Martin Co. gave them and she was thrilled at the variety. She said the company really took care of their Rosies and she was so proud to have been a part of that,” she said. “She was also proud that her three brothers were in the service during the war.”

In 1946, she married Jasper Mabe, and while raising their six children, she found a job with the News American as a carrier delivering newspapers in Catonsville.

After her husband discovered how profitable her route was, he quit his various jobs and the couple purchased a large route that served much of Howard County in the late 1960s. Serving their customers became pretty much a family affair, Ms. Mabe said.

“Throwing hefty papers from the car window, strategically placing them in yards, she developed quite a strong left arm,” according to a biographical profile of Mrs. Mabe.

They retired in 1996.

Mrs. Mabe was a woman of varied interests. She enjoyed sewing clothes, cheering on her children at their baseball games and preparing festive dinners.

She was an avid flower and vegetable gardener and filled her home with a variety of pets. She was an outdoorswoman who enjoyed walking through the woods and across fields.

She was a strong advocate for physical activity, and in order to keep her children active, took took them camping, rode bicycles and got them into scouting.

“She loved being in nature,” Ms. Mabe said.

“She was fun-loving, sweet and enjoyed those around her,” her daughter said. “I think of her as having a huge mothering spirit and all of the neighborhood kids listened to her.”

Mrs. Mabe’s interests included art and writing.

“She wasn’t formally educated but she liked writing articles and painting. She worked in charcoal and watercolors and did nature-oriented and landscape paintings,” her daughter said.

She was also a very spiritual individual and had been a member of Women’s Aglow and attended services at Presbyterian, Pentecostal and Roman Catholic churches.

Her husband died in 2021.

Funeral services were held Oct. 24 at the Harry H. Witzke Family Funeral Home in Ellicott City.

In addition to her daughter, Mrs. Mabe is survived by two sons, Jim Mabe, of Sykesville, and Jack Mable, of Spring Hill, Florida; three other daughters, Lisa Hennessee, of Taneytown, Dale Collins, of Ellicott City, and Brenda Mabe, of Munhall, Pennsylvania; four grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; and a great-great grandson.

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