Barbara Suzanne Hershey

She was born on Wednesday, September 18, 1929 in Anthony, Kansas, to Walker William and Hazel Staley Bird.

She was raised with her three sisters and one brother in Stafford, Kansas where she married her husband George Winston Hershey in December of 1948. They started their family in Oklahoma City where George worked as a commercial artist until his death in 1994.

She was devoted to taking care of her family. In her early married life she was an assistant Girl Scout Brownie and later Boy Scout leader and loved to play the piano and sing loudly, particularly at the sound of an approaching ice cream truck in mostly futile attempts to keep her children from hearing it.

She was an accomplished seamstress and in later years developed a wide range of other hobbies, becoming skilled at many crafts including knitting, quilting, and counted cross-stitching.

She worked in retail sales for many years at The Yardstick fabric shop where she created many of the fashions displayed in their storefront windows. She later worked at Woodward’s Hobbies for several years and was a longtime member of The Village Christian Church.

Barbara was predeceased by her loving husband of 46 years. Together they had four children. She is survived by her daughters, Anne Springer of Oklahoma City and Lori Hershey of Melbourne, Florida; and by sons Mark Hershey of Murphy, Texas and Jeff Hershey of Oklahoma City. She has six grandchildren and five great-grandchildren, as well as multiple nieces and nephews.

Barbara’s family wishes to offer our most sincere thanks to all of the wonderful folks at Crossroads Hospice and at Brookdale Senior Living who have offered such extraordinary kindness and care.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donations to the BritVil Community Food Pantry (http://www.helpbritvil.com) in her name.