REFLECTIONS

Barbara was always there to help others. Her time was never so valuable that she couldn’t take time to help someone, somewhere.

Judy and I couldn’t have been more pleased to have a devoted friend as was Barbara Molland, former city clerk in Blooming Prairie. We called her Barb.

She passed away at her home, next to ours, on June 25 while watching TV with a friend. Many times, Barb would be up late because she was following a late-night Minnesota Twins baseball game.

Judy and I were first introduced to Barb on Sept. 23, 2014, when we arrived in Blooming Prairie to begin a revival as a resident of Southeastern Minnesota. That’s where we first met, just a few miles west of Blooming Prairie.

Our neighbors to the south of us were Barb Molland and Bill Biers. They were so gracious in greeting us to our new challenge in life.

Barb had just entered the realm of retirement.

Being we were now part of the Prairie Estates, we got to know them quite well. Barb had taken over for Lorraine Kruckeberg in managing the association’s wants and needs.

Barb was a very organized person. She retired from the city but picked up a new task, that of handling the accounting for the BP Ambulance Service.

Barb and Bill loved to play cards, either at the BP Senior Center, or on a rotation at one of our houses. Usually, we played men against the women. Barb was often on the winning side.

Barb took her job as Association president. She often led the way to make improvements in our group of town homes. Barb recruited our snow removal and lawn mowing duties. She was always keeping all of us in the town home group informed of any changes affecting us as a town home owner.

She was an avid Minnesota Twins fan and loved to share successes of the team.

Barb was also a loyalist to Blooming Prairie sports teams and attended games when she could.

Barb was very patriotic and loved being part of church and of American Legion Post 52’s Auxiliary.

With her family a short distance away, Barb tried to be part of her two daughters’ lives. She reveled in her daughters’ triumphs in life.

We are so saddened by her death. It is for sure that we will remember the appreciation she showed when Judy took over some leftovers or some baked creations that Barb and Bill liked so well.

Barb always tried to apologize for what she thought was her ineptness in the kitchen. She did not have to apologize because she always returned the next day with some type of dessert to replace the one we have brought to her.

Barb made the sunshine brighter and we were thankful for that.