Barbara M. Ulmer

Barbara M. Ulmer, 88, of Trevose PA, passed away on Friday, June 26th, 2026, in her home, surrounded by the things she loved, including her various collectibles and her artwork.

Born in Fox Chase, PA, she was the daughter of the late J. Frank Motson and the late Elizabeth W. Galeone.

Barbara was an accomplished equestrian and had unlimited artistic and creative talents. She graduated from Abington Senior High School and attended Penn State University (State College) studying veterinary medicine. Throughout her lifetime she competed in horse shows, was a horse show judge, gave riding lessons, managed her own riding stable, and was involved in horse rescue providing unending care to not only to her horses, but creatures of all types. She was also an accomplished golfer and won a number of tournaments at Cedarbrook Country Club, where she was a member. Her artistic skills included her extensive painting, drawing, and many forms of needlework. She also enjoyed flea marketing. There wasn't much she couldn't do!

Surviving, are her partner Dana Schmidt of Trevose, PA, daughter Lynn Holtzman (Gil) of Harleysville, PA, son Ted Ulmer of Wescosville, PA, granddaughter Sarah Rowland (Chris) of Harrisburg, PA, grandson Jake Ulmer (Gabby) of Emmaus, PA, and great grandchildren Liam and Samantha Rowland. In addition, she is also survived by Anne Clayton (mother of Sarah) and Jackie Blair (mother of Jake). Along with her parents she is predeceased by her sister Deborah J. Galeone.

Visitation will be Saturday, July 11, 2026, from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm at the American Funeral Home & Cremation Service, 1859 Stout Dr. Warminster, PA. 18974 with her memorial service to begin at 3:00 pm. Burial will be private.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Barbara's name to the Animal Charity of your choice.

BARBARA ULMER EULOGY

By Dana Schmidt

I first met Barbara in 1970 when she moved her horse, Spot Check, into Cairnwood Farm in Bryn Athyn where I kept my horses. I remember the day she moved in like it was yesterday. I was impressed with her demeanor and how she handled her horse. She came across different than the horse people I had known up to that point. She knew what she was doing!

Barbara started out life on September 26,1937 living in Bryn Athyn, Bethayres, and eventually her parents bought a house in Fox Chase Manor. It was a great place for kids to grow up. Lots of playmates and open ground for playing. She attended Cedar Road School nearby. A good student, she was also responsible for writing the Cedar Road School song! She was exposed to horses on the nearby farms. If you look at her pony picture, you can see she developed a love of horses early on. So proud sitting on that pony! At some point, when she was a little older, someone found Sharpless Riding Stables where she took riding lessons and developed lifelong friendships with the other young riders. She was hooked; she had the bug.

She continued to ride at not only Sharpless, but her father's farm in Bethayres, by the railroad tracks, complete with a quarter mile racetrack. The house and barns are long gone now and it's now a car wash. She also knew an old horse dealer, Marland France, who rented the barns for his horse selling business. It was with Marland that she was introduced to the world of horse shows, which were numerous in the area at that time. She had many memories of riding the trails on the Pitcairn property and riding to the post office, in the center of Bethayres, to pick up the mail. Imagine doing that today! Barbara and her friend Gail also had the unique experience of riding on the unfinished PA Turnpike to the hoots and hollers of the construction workers!

Barbara graduated from Abington High School in 1955 and attended Penn State University, taking her horse with her to the main campus, where she studied veterinary medicine with the hopes of becoming a horse vet.

After college, she continued to ride locally, attending horse shows, and at some point, teaching riding lessons. Barbara married in 1958, two children followed, Lynn and Ted, and the family moved to a new development in Feasterville/Trevose. The area, at that time was still surrounded by farms and open ground. She continued with the horses and eventually started teaching at Pineway Farms in Langhorne.

Barbara was also quite a golfer during this time. They were members of Cedarbrook Country Club, and she competed and won a number of tournaments during her time there. In fact, at one point, she was approached by some promoters to consider going out on the Women's Pro Tour. She declined for one reason; she didn't want to be away from her two children. The 60's involved raising her family, helping her mother-in-law with her yarn shop in Bethayres, teaching riding at Pineway, and competing and judging at local horse shows. That takes us up to the time I met her in 1970.

I had the opportunity to take over the horse boarding business at Cairnwood Farm not long after Barbara moved in. She approached me with the possibility of teaching there which proved to be a great idea. My boarders loved her! It was during this time that Barbara and I grew closer. She had divorced in 1972, and we started dating. There was an age difference between us, but it never got in the way. Cairnwood didn't last. The Pitcairns had other plans for it, so we moved our horses to another farm in Pineville. Shortly after moving there, Barbara was approached by Lincoln Sharpless to come back to Meadowbrook and run Sharpless Stables. Because of his age, it became her business. Barbara flourished there boarding horses, teaching, working with our young horses, and something new, horse rescue. She worked with the local SPCA agent who would bring her rescues. In turn, she would rehab them and find homes when they were ready. It worked very well.

Sharpless was not to last either. Homes were already all around and the property owner was forced to sell to a developer. By then, I had moved our horses to Sharpless, so we decided to get out of the boarding business and find new homes for the horses, keeping a few for our own use. I will always remember our horses. They would never have happened without Barbara. It was during this time Barbara got into driving horses and collecting carriages.

She had always been a painter from an early age, in addition to doing needlework. In fact, there wasn't much she couldn't do! She continued to paint in all mediums for years after Sharpless, and willingly shared copies of her work with family and friends.

During her time after Sharpless she began attending flea markets and auctions to buy and sell. Like everything else, she was good at it! She did that right up to the point when it became difficult for her to do.

Barbara and I shared a few homes during our time together. There was the Trevose home, a three-story historic Victorian in Huntingdon Valley with a large area out back for her garden, a grape arbor and a fenced in area for the animals. They included dogs, cats, chickens. We also raised Muscovy ducks that we didn't name for obvious reasons! It provided us with ample storage for carriages, trailers, and inside storage. It always needed work, but it was well kept! We sold that house and then moved to another three-story house in Jenkintown to take care of my mother. It was there that Barbara did a lot of her painting along with her restoration projects and we eventually sold that house when my mother passed. Finally, we moved to Arbor Lane Apartments and adjusted to not having the space we had for so many years. It wasn't easy! It was good for Barbara because she was slowing down, but she never stopped with her painting and other projects. She never sat around doing nothing if she could do something. We also began raising Black Swallowtail butterflies every summer about seven years ago, on a whim, and continue to this day!

Early on in our relationship I asked her to marry me, but she gently turned me down. We didn't have to be married to be together for over 50 years. She always treated me well, as she did others. I never heard her use an obscenity, and when I would slip at times, she would be quick to tell me she didn't like it.

When Barbara passed two weeks ago, I knew it was becoming a strong possibility, but I was not prepared for the reality. I want to continue to honor her through who she was, her artwork, and what she meant to me. I'm heartbroken and miss her desperately. I'm told in time I will heal from the loss, but I will always love her, she will always be with me and forever remembered by her family and friends. I love you, Barb.