BOONE, Iowa—Barbara Marie (Bush) Gibbs, 81, of Ogden, Iowa, passed away on Thursday, June 23, 2022, at the Hearthstone Memory Care Unit of the Eastern Star Masonic Home in Boone.
Barb was born on August 19, 1940, in the back bedroom of her grandparents’ house in Missouri Valley, Iowa, to Richard Benjamin Bush and Catherine Annette Cox. The family moved several times before settling in Boone, where she learned all the “mom” things by helping care for her younger siblings, John, Mary, and Chris.
Barb graduated from Boone High School in 1958. It was there that she met her lifelong “Girls Week” friends LaVonne Warak Elfing, Karen Dutton Harris, Karen Mustapha Langmade, and Priscilla Chinstedt Thomsen.
In 1959, Barb married her high school sweetheart and the true love of her life, David Allan Gibbs (BHS Class of 1956). Soon to follow were three children, Annette, Diana, and Michael. Barb’s strong maternal sense served her well as she stayed home to raise her children.
After her kids had grown, she worked for 10 years as the “Shake Lady” at the Boone High School Cafeteria and never quit smiling. She was an accomplished seamstress, having made her own wedding dress and clothing for her family and others in the community. She enjoyed quilting, knitting, crocheting, gardening, and growing flowers. Barb’s love of animals lead her to raise Persian cats, dogs, birds, fish, and horses. She and David spent many summers at the family cabin on Lake Roosevelt in North Central Minnesota. Barb also enjoyed traveling with her “Girls Week” bunch.
Barb was a member of the Central Christian Church, Red Hat Society, VFW Auxiliary, and several quilting groups.
Barb will be best known as fun, loving, creative, kind, quick to share a laugh, and for devoting her life to loving her family, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, friends, and all the living things.
Barb was preceded in death by her parents, Richard and Catherine Bush.
She is survived by her husband of 63 years, David Gibbs; brothers: John (Pam) Bush and Christopher (Jennifer) Bush; sister Mary (Wayne) Smith; daughter Annette Satre (Dan Gorman); daughter Diane (Mike) Brown; son Mike (Courtney) Gibbs; grandchildren: Shane Gibbs (Carena Daniels), Austin (Kaitlyn) Gibbs, Sally (Tylar) Stephens, Carrie Satre, and Thomas Brown, and great-grandchildren Abel and Shaylee Stephens.
A Celebration of Life will take place on August 19, 2022 from 12:00 p.m. until 3:00 p.m. at the Boone VFW Post 817, 815 Keeler Street, Boone, Iowa 50036. Private family interment will be at the Iowa Veterans Cemetery in Adel.
In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to the Boone Area Humane Society or the family to use at their discretion.
Online condolences can be left at www.schroederfuneral.com
Barbara Gibbs, 81, Ogden, Iowa
