Barbara Joyce (Wright) SimmonsBorn 10/3/1930 in Fairfax, MO
Died 3/27/2017
Barbara Joyce Simmons, of Atchison County, Mo., and Rochester, died at the age of 86 on March 27, 2017.
Barbara was born in Fairfax, Mo., to Gertrude and Moran Gaffney Wright on Oct. 3, 1930. She attended the Fairfax Public Schools and Northwest Missouri State College in Maryville.
She and her husband of 67 years, Thomas G. Simmons, owned and operated their family farms and agribusinesses in Northwest Missouri until their retirement and subsequent move from Tarkio to Rochester.
Throughout her life, Barb was keenly interested in the happiness and well-being of other people. She was a strong advocate for education, championing the establishment of kindergarten in her hometown and serving on the Tarkio School Board. Barb enjoyed her membership and activity in the Methodist Church, where she was baptized and married in Fairfax, served as church treasurer in Tarkio, and in her later years was a member of Christ United Methodist Church in Rochester. She worked enthusiastically to help others as a volunteer at Mayo Clinic and, during her own prolonged illness, helped others navigate their healthcare with encouraging words of support. Barb shared her affection with the extraordinary medical staff who extended her life and with family and friends. P.E.O. and bridge clubs throughout her adult life brought her joy.
Barbara Simmons is survived by her husband, Thomas G. Simmons of Rochester; sister, Jacqueline Eikenberry of Independence, Mo.; daughter, Dr. Patricia Simmons of Rochester and St. Paul (m. Dr. Lester Wold); son, Paul Scott Simmons, of Davis, Calif. (m. Michele Clarke); grandson, Paul Simmons Wold of Duluth, Minn. (m. Kaylinn Stormo); granddaughter, Barbara Nielsen Wold of West Point, N.Y. (m. Capt. Matthew Textor); and great-grandson, Charles Wold Textor.
The family will gather for a memorial in Rochester in May and a graveside service will be held in Atchison County this summer. In honoring Barbara\\\'s wishes and the family\\\'s gratitude for the exceptional care these institutions provide, memorials are suggested to Mayo Clinic Cancer Research or Seasons Hospice in Rochester.
Burial Location
I-CIII304b
Spouse
Veteran