Judith Lorraine Weden

Judith Lorraine Weden was born on January 23, 1950, in Ferndale, WA, to Bernice and Gordon Weden, the youngest of five. The family, including siblings Darrel, Darlene, Ray, and Ron, lived in Ferndale until 1953 when the family moved to Bellingham, where they stayed until moving to Wenatchee in 1956. In 1960 the family moved to Aberdeen, and in 1962 Judith moved to Queen Anne Hill, Seattle, WA. After graduating high school, Judith enrolled at the University of Washington. She later transferred to Western Washington University in Bellingham, where she received her BA in Education in June 1975. The following June, she and Douglas J. Bartholomew were married in Bellingham before moving to Chehalis, WA. Later they moved to Edmonds, WA, and welcomed Ian, the first of their two sons, in April 1980. In 1985, while pregnant with Nathan, Judith and Douglas built a house in Kirkland. She and Doug separated in 1995. She remained in Kirkland until 2005, when she moved to Eastern Washington to attend Washington State University, graduating in December of 2008 with a Master’s in Education. Her thesis was entitled “Art and the ELL Connection.” Judith had a long and highly awarded career in teaching for more than 20 years, including 13 years at Outlook Elementary School in Sunnyside, WA, and Elementary Art Educator of the Year for the state of Washington in 2016. She specialized in teaching ESL, art, and social studies to K-6 children. Upon retirement in 2017, she moved back to her family’s hometown of Bellingham, WA. Judith enjoyed spending her time in the garden, painting, visiting family, and playing with her dog Bella during retirement. Her primary passion, however, was her family. She loved documenting family history and memories and had a close relationship with her family in Sweden. A treasured tradition of hers was baking Swedish julekaka and spritz for Christmas every year. She is survived by her brother Ron and his wife Molly Weden; her son Ian M. Bartholomew and his partner Camella Lobo; son Nathan D. Bartholomew; grandchildren Lourdes Lobo-Bartholomew and Ines Lobo-Bartholomew; uncle Bengt and Inger Weden; cousins Lars Weden and Lena Weden, all in Sweden; many nieces and nephews; and her dog Bella. A memorial service will be held Thursday, June 16th at 12:00 p.m. at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Bellingham, followed by a committal service at 2:00 p.m. at Greenacres Memorial Park in Ferndale.