Barbara Louise (Barth) Nauman went home to be with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on Sunday, December 8, 2024. She had been a resident of Tiffany Heights Nursing Home for the last three months.
Barbara was born in St. Joseph, Missouri on August 17, 1937 to Mark and Genevieve (Smeya) Barth, and was the oldest of their three children. Her childhood was spent in St. Joseph where she attended Lindbergh School. Barbara graduated from Lafayette High School in 1955, and was a member of the National Honor Society. In 1957 she graduated from St. Joseph Junior College with an Associate Degree in Elementary Education.
She worked as a Fire, Casualty and Life insurance underwriter for two different insurance agencies. She also worked for a time as a Girl-Friday for the St. Joseph office of the Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States. She was an active member of the Woodson Chapel Christian Church, sang in the choir, and was secretary of the children’s department for many years. She was a member of Beta Sigma Phi Sorority for many years.
She met Glen Eldon Nauman Sr. on a blind date set up by mutual friends. They were married on January 7, 1967, and celebrated 53 years of marriage before his death on November 27, 2020.
They spent their early married years in Lawrence, Kansas. In 1968 they moved to Mound City, Missouri to farm. They were both active members in the Mound City United Methodist Church for many years, later becoming members of the First Christian Church. Beginning in 2021, until the time of her passing, she attended the Forest City Christian Church
Barbara was a farm wife and stay-at-home mom for many years. In 1987 she took a job with American Family Insurance in St. Joseph, working as a policy processor, retiring in 2002.
Barbara loved being on the farm and taking care of her family. She was a wonderful cook, and was well known at family reunions for her made from scratch brownies. She was a prayer warrior and devoted to bible study. She volunteered countless hours in church work and loved every minute of it. She loved flower and vegetable gardening, collecting nativity scenes, reading and embroidering work on flour sack tea towels. She loved helping friends and spending time with them. She loved her country, the American Flag and supporting the military.
Her children credit her with leaving them a lasting legacy of being able to think for themselves, stand their ground and as she would always say “Just be who you are."
Preceding her in death in addition to her husband, were her parents; in-laws, Glen Casper and Thelma Catherine (Holmes) Nauman; sister-in-law, Martha Anne Nauman; nephews, Doyle and Duane Austin Nauman; and several aunts, uncles and cousins.
Survivors include her son and daughter-in-law, Glen Eldon and Mary Nauman, and daughter, Nancy Nauman, all of Mound City; brother and sister-in-law, Mark J. and Linda Barth, St. Joseph, Missouri; brother, Kenneth Barth, Osborn, Missouri; brother-in-law, Duane L. Nauman, Mound City; grandson, Jason (Jennifer) Tenney; granddaughter, Danielle (Corey) Gordon; great grandchildren, Bryson Tenney, Jake, Courteney, Hunter and Kaitlin Gordon; special cousin, Melvin (T.J.) Miles, Fairfax, Missouri; special family friend, Bill Frye; nephews, Mark Tyson Barth, California, and Matt Barth, Colorado; nieces, Elizabeth (Trevor) Boyd, Rozet, Wyoming, Linda Nauman, Mound City, and Gale (Ralph) Ball, Fairfax; lifelong family friends, John and Linda Stewart, Slatington, Pennsylvania; numerous great nephews, great nieces and friends; and special adopted family Dave and Jill Asher, Angie, Ben, John and Duke Brook and Renick Stuart.