Barbara Jean Houston
12/26/1928 - 06/09/2025
Born in Savory, Wyoming on 12/26/1928 to Matthew O'Toole and Ruth Lanahan O'Toole
Older sister of Larry Toole, born 13 months later in January 1930.
Raised in a rural, subsistence lifestyle with no running water, electricity or car during the depression until they moved to Canastota, NY in the fall of 1936, the first time they ever experienced indoor plumbing and electricity. They lived there until the spring of 1943 when they moved back to the Snake River in Wyoming and living there until moving to Thermopolis, Wyoming to attend and ultimately graduate from high school. The following year she moved to Denver where she attended and graduated nurses training at St. Anthony Hospital.
Married Harold Kaiser in 1950, had 2 children, Steven and Shelly in Colorado, moved to California and had 2 additional children, Stuart and Sharon. Moved back to Colorado in 1956. Children moved to Brazil with Harold in 1958 and she didn't know where they were until around 1969. The 3 youngest came to visit the US only after reaching the age of 18 and she didn't see any of them until after they were adults. Made her first trip to Brazil to visit them and "meet" her oldest child Steven in 1979 after the birth of his first child and her son Don went with her where he met Adriana, the sister of Steven's wife Stela, who would ultimately become his wife in 1983. To make things even more interesting, her other son Stuart, who lived in Brazil, married the 3rd sister Valeria in 1984. When the youngest Sharon got married to a Brazilian citizen (Jose' Renato) and they decided to move to the US in 1981, she sponsored him so he would be able to move here. They lived with her for a short time after moving here until they found jobs. They still live here 44 years later. When her eldest Steven moved here in 2003, he lived with her at the beginning until he also was self-sufficient. He ultimately returned to Brazil but pre-deceased her in 2017.
Married Walter Kroh in fall 1958 and had 2 children, Donald and William. Walter died in a car accident in 1964. Remarried in 1964 and Lynn was born in 1965. Divorced and married Homer Houston in 1966 and had her last child Lois in 1969. Purchased a home in Westminster where she lived until she passed away 59 years later. Homer passed away in 2013 after 47 years of marriage. Homer had 2 children from a previous marriage, Patricia and Lucille, so Barbara had 8 natural children and 2 stepchildren.
Had 14 grandchildren, 4 of whom passed away, 3 as infants and 1 at 22 years of age of cystic fibrosis. 6 live in Brazil and 4 in the US.
Has 2 step-grandchildren.
Has 13 great-grandchildren, 10 in Brazil and 3 in the US.
Has 5 step-great-grandchildren.
Was a stay-at-home mother for the first 4 children, started working at St. Anthony Hospital in 1957 as an RN taking care of people and worked there until her retirement in 1994 after 37 years of full-time service, most at St. Anthony Central but 16 years as the head nurse of the recovery room at St. Anthony North from when it opened in 1972 until 1988, after which she returned to Central. Continued working part-time until hitting her goal of 40 years of employment there.
After retiring, she undertook an endeavor of researching her family tree well before the internet had much available, going so far as to research even the families of each of her husband and former husbands for her children's information. She made lots of calls requesting documents, gathering information and traveled to gravesites, even traveling to Ireland with Sharon to do research. That was one of her major legacies. She went to Brazil numerous times to visit the Brazilian contingency of the family.
While she was never super religious, she was baptized in 1932 as an Episcopalian and again in 1937 as Catholic. Her first 4 children were baptized Catholic. Her next were baptized Lutheran after which she reverted to Episcopalian where her last children were baptized and confirmed until they were old enough to decide if they wanted to continue attending, after which she never really followed any formalized religion.
She was always very healthy physically but unfortunately suffered dementia in the later years of her life. Her body held on, but her memory gave way so her passing, although unfortunate, was a blessing. She will be sorely missed.
Horan & McConaty Funeral Service and Cremation - Northwest/Arvada
Horan & McConaty Funeral Service and Cremation - Northwest/Arvada
Crown Hill Cemetery
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