Elizabeth Anne Kaulbach passed away on June 14, 2022, in St. Augustine, Florida, in the loving care of her husband, Peter Kaulbach. She is survived by her daughter, Whitney, her granddaughter, Kata and her son in law, Marc Gilbertson. Beth retired to Florida after living in Maine but she always thought of herself as a Vermonter. Beth always called Moretown and Waitsfield her home. For more than 26 years, her South Hill Road gardens were the sites of birthday parties, Girl Scout weekends and other celebrations.
Beth was born in 1949 and raised in Mahwah, New Jersey. There she became a dental assistant, met her husband Peter, fell in love and headed to the Mad River Valley. They eloped during the third greatest snowstorm on record, December 28, 1969, (44 inches fell in Waitsfield) and went down the aisle with three snowballs in her hands.
Beth and Peter eventually settled in Moretown, she became a local sheep farmer, herbalist and a Girl Scout leader. Eventually, she started a business selling herbal balms and homespun wool at the Montpelier Farmers Market. As a Girl Scout leader she overcame her stuttering and fear of public speaking to shepherd girls in wilderness camping, canoeing, and being all that they could be. She hosted annual variety and talent shows for the Moretown community that were always well attended. Here, she would get up, shut her eyes tight and make sure that the girls she believed in had a voice.
In 1995, Beth left her farm in Vermont and headed to Maine. She reinvented herself many times. She was a florist, a CNA and started a niche catering business in Portland, Maine. Her last years in Maine were devoted to hospice care for her daughter, Taylor, who passed away in 2015. Soon after Taylor’s death, Peter and Beth went to Florida for a fresh start.
Beth was known for her full and generous heart. She gave all that she had to others, especially to causes of women’s health and equality. What she couldn’t do for herself she passionately did for others. A family service will be held in Moretown on July 9, 2022, followed by an open reception at the Moretown Town Hall at 10 a.m. Please stop by to share a story and a coffee. In lieu of flowers or donations, the Kaulbachs ask that you just take time to be kind to someone or to volunteer. The world could use more peace and kindness and people willing to fight for women.
