BOONE, Iowa—Barbara Diane Kingsbury was born January 8, 1954, at Mary Greeley Medical Center in Ames, Iowa, the daughter of Bonita and Carrol Kingsbury. She was their third daughter, joining Marcelyn and Rosalie. Later, little brother Ronald came along. Barbara passed away Wednesday, November 13, 2024 at the Israel Family Hospice House in Ames.
Barbara spent her school years moving with her family between Iowa and Colorado. They lived several places in Colorado, but they always moved back to the Ames area. She started kindergarten in Kelley, IA and ended her schooling at United Community High School, as part of the Class of 1972. She joined them for their 50-year class reunion in August of 2022.
Barb became a free spirit after high school. She lived kind of a communal lifestyle with friends in the Cedar Rapids, IA, area. Barb spent a time hitch hiking back and forth across the country. Her parents never knowing where she’d end up next and probably not wanting to know how she got there.
Barb ended up back in Lakewood, Colorado, where she lived for 25 years with a friend, David Jordan. Barb was a waitress and enjoyed working for many years at the “Café Del Sol.” She enjoyed crafting, gardening, and flea marketing.
In 2012, she moved to Everett, Washington, where she had friends living. She got her hands on a VW “Camper Van”. Barb loved that thing and loved to camp in the mountains and beach area with her two dogs, Finnee and Zah. She loved to tell the story of the time a black bear wandered into their camp, Barb managed to get them all in the camp van, where they waited out the bear and then moved their campsite.
While in Washington state, Barb found the “love of her life” a four-wheeled Harley Motorcycle. She described it as a Harley Sportster with training wheels, it was unique, like her. She loved spending time with her motorcycle group, taking trips and group activities. Barb’s last trip was this summer, when she got back from Iowa. She also talked about riding Dune Buggies down beaches in Oregon.
Barb visited a friend in Australia. They were sightseeing in northern Australia and had an unexpected visitor join them, a Big Fuzzy Black Spider, the size of a mixing bowl. It dropped onto their windshield and held on, making its way across and into the vehicle! Barb didn’t tell us how they got it out!
Barbara was not a conventional person. She loved her friends, loved to travel, and loved her motorcycle. She should have had a “Life’s Theme” of – I DID IT MY WAY!
She was preceded in death by her parents, Bonita and Carrol; her oldest sister, Marcelyn Joyce Kingsbury Leathers Reeves and brother-in-law, Russell Rysavy.
Barbara is survived by her sister, Rosalie Rysavy of Boone; brother, Ron (Jean) Kingsbury of Nevada, IA; two aunts, Sharon Sharp and Charlene Brice, both of Boone; many nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews; step-daughter, Nicole and a step-granddaughter.
Cremation has taken place and services will be held at a later date.
Funeral arrangements are under the direction of the Schroeder-Reimers Memorial Chapel at Sixth and Marshall Streets in Boone. Online condolences may be left to Barbara’s family at www.schroedermemorialchapel.com.
Barbara Kingsbury, 70, Boone, Iowa
