On a cold but sunny day November 29th, 1952, two crazy kids took hands in front of friends and family and made a pledge to love one another, to support one another and build a world together. They kissed and it was a Kiss to build a dream on. Those two crazy kids are Lynwood “Joe” Babbitt and Lillian (Johnson) Babbitt of Charlestown, NH.
Joe just 19 and in the Navy and Lillian just 5 days after turning 18. Lillian from Newport and Joe from Charlestown, meeting at the Claremont Racetrack all those many years ago. While Joe was in the Navy they lived together and apart as the Navy would have it but did reside in Newport RI before they ventured back to Charlestown to make their home in a little cottage. With them they brought a daughter, Marie Ann and later in Charlestown they had another daughter Nancy Jean.
In the next years they built homes living and working in Charlestown. They started L.J. Babbitt Plumbing, Heating and Electrical, later purchasing Charlestown Fuel Co, which they owned for many years. Raising a family, owning and running apartment houses and having the businesses working side by side. It takes two special people to be able to live together and work together. They built the Busy Bee handcraft shop in Charlestown. Which in turn they developed J&L Crafts and went on the road. They traveled the eastern seaboard doing fairs, craft shows, mall shows. From Fryeburg fair in Maine, Deerfield fair in NH, Eastern States in Ma, Eerie County fair in Buffalo NY to Shows in Venice FL. They traveled them all, together.
After deciding to do semi- retirement they settled into a home in Nokomis FL for half the year and home in Charlestown. They went to work for United Construction in Newport NH, he a driver and she a weight master, for the Spring/summer. Then to FL as snowbirds in the winter. They did this trip many years, finally retiring from “working” altogether. They sold their home in Nokomis after 17 years and moved into a wonderful park in Punta Gorda where they met many different people from all areas of the US and Canada. Many dear friendships were formed.
Throughout their lifetime they faced many hardships, none so hard as losing a son in law at the age of 38, leaving a wife and daughter, then years later losing their daughter after a lifetime of illness. Missing family and friends from home, they sold their property in FL and they decided to settle back into Charlestown in the little cottage that their granddaughter owns, that very cottage they started out in, all those years ago! Joe now does his metal scrapping in town and when the weather is good Joe and Lil go “canning” together on the roads around town. It’s nothing abnormal to see him on the blue convertible, his tractor with my mom driving his truck behind him.
They have fulfilled that promise to which they have shown all who know them how to respect one another, how to spend a lifetime working together, how to face obstacles and tragedy and still at the end of the day give each other a kiss goodnight for the promise of a kiss in the morning. They are excellent role models, none of us would be where we are today if not for them, we love them very much!
Celebrating having 2 daughters/spouses, 3 grandchildren/ spouses, 9 great grandchildren/spouses and two great, great grandchildren is what their life has been about. Not bad for a Kiss.
So here we are in November 2022. Please help us celebrate two very special people, Happy 70th anniversary Mom and Dad aka B and Poppa. And here is to many more years, we love you very much!
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