Barbara Marie Crossley Mackey

Barbara was born on July 9, 1948 at Highland Hospital in Auburn, CA, the daughter of the late Frank and Margaret Crossley. She lived her entire life in Placer County. She was very proud to live and work on the ranch established by her great, great grandparents Joseph and Ann Turner in 1853. During her illness, she often referred to it as her sanctuary. She worked for many years as Entry Supervisor at the Placer County Fair and received the Manager’s Appreciation Award in 1982. She was a 4-H member and later a 4-H leader. She was a third generation member of the Placer Nevada Cattlewomen, of which her grandmother, Ora Crossley, was a founding member, and her mother, Margaret Crossley, was a Cattlewoman of the Year. She also was a member of the Tahoe Cattlemen’s Association where her husband, Ken, was a past president and Cattleman of the Year. She and her family were members of the Placer County Farm Bureau for over one hundred years. She also enjoyed her membership in the Auburn A’s Model A Ford Club and the Townsmen Car Club. She retired as Placer Elementary School secretary after 30 years with the Loomis School District. Her great, great grandfather, Joseph Turner, was one of the founding trustees in 1856, and her great grandmother, Mary Turner, was a teacher in the late 1880’s. She loved teaching kids about the history of the area and for many years did a presentation for third graders at Placer Elementary School. When the old Fruitvale School in Lincoln started its third grade living history program in 2003, she was one of the first to volunteer. First, by taking her great grandfathers Studebaker wagon, then as the backup teacher, and finally as “The Biscuit Lady.” She started by loaning two of her grandma’s old school desks and then on a trip, if she found one or more in an antique shop, she would bargain for it and bring it home for the school. But most of all she loved her family, friends, the ranch, and her Polled Hereford cattle. The ranch JT brand was recorded in Placer County in 1858 by Joseph Turner, and Barbara’s father, Frank, bought the first registered Hereford cattle in 1940. The ranch, Crossley Mackey Polled Herefords, has been recognized as a Centennial Ranch with over 150 years of operation by several organizations. Her favorite place, outside of the ranch, was Monterey and she was very grateful for one last trip in the Spring of this year. She passed peacefully on October 13, 2023, on the ranch in the home where she was raised. She is survived by her husband, Ken Mackey; two daughters, Stephanie Mahlberg and Roberta Besse and their spouses; and her sister, Patricia (Graham) Hooper. She is also survived by much loved grandchildren, great grandchildren, nieces, nephews, cousins, and wonderful friends. Her family plans to continue on with the things most important to her - the land, the family, the cattle. That is her legacy.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to:

Loomis Basin Historical Society

P.O. Box 2195

Loomis, CA 95650

In memory of Barbara Crossley Mackey