Barbara Ann Knapp Leiferman

“Seeing is believing.” For many, those words simply represent a motto. But for Barbara Ann Leiferman, it summarized in every way who she was. She was modest, quiet and observant, taking in everything around her and always thinking before acting. She was a realist, someone who was efficient and practical in everything she did. She was a friendly person who truly cared about those around her.

Barbara was born on January 5, 1941 at Dixon Public Hospital in Dixon, Illinois. She was the daughter of Roy and Vivian Knapp. Raised in Empire, Oregon and Portland, Oregon, she was brought up to be tolerant and trustworthy. As a child, she learned to be conscientious, responsible and punctual. These were all traits that she would carry with her throughout her life.

As a young girl, Barbara was always aware of how others around her felt and this quality served her well. With a deep capacity to tolerate the feelings of others, Barbara was generally able to avoid conflicts. Preferring a quiet environment where she could concentrate, Barbara also had the ability to relate well with her family and friends. Barbara was raised with one sibling. She had an older sister, Sharon. Barbara was constantly involved in activities with her family. Barbara and her sister had the typical rivalries while growing up but they deeply cared for each other and shared many life experiences over the years.

Barbara enjoyed learning. She always had a great memory and was particularly skilled at retaining factual information. Barbara was generally quiet in class, learning best through observation. She often showed great concentration and was competent at completing the tasks at hand. Good with details, Barbara was painstaking and accurate in her efforts. Barbara enjoyed some courses more than others, having favorite subjects and teachers. Her favorite class in high school was English.

Most folks would say that Barbara was shy until they got to know her. Those who were privileged to know her well learned that she was a solid, good friend. Barbara was reluctant to generalize about people, and she based her friendships on her personal experiences. Because of this, Barbara best trusted those people that she truly knew. She was concerned about how those around her felt, and she always seemed to uncover the positive side of people. She could relate to others and had the ability to see their point of view, to “walk a mile in their shoes,” as the saying goes. The friends that she made, Barbara kept. Later in life, she became friends with Betty Howland, Laska Potter, Kelly Abel and Shirley Travis.

Barbara was a good mother to her children. She had “old fashioned” parental values and could handle typical family conflicts in a fair and calm manner. Because she trusted emotions, Barbara was reluctant to force issues and used gentle persuasion to resolve situations. In this way she seemed to radiate an aura of warmth and caring to those around her, always thinking before acting. In addition, Barbara was a master planner. No matter how hectic life around her might be, she seemed to know and track everyone’s schedule. Barbara was blessed with five children, five sons, Tracy Allen, Eddie, Richard, Billy and Bobby. She was also blessed with ten grandchildren, Chad, Shawn, Shane, Shonda, Ashley, Jared, Joshua, Bradley, Daniel and Ryan.

If you gave Barbara a deadline, she would meet it. At work, Barbara was always on task. Without hesitation, Barbara could adhere to any assignment and see it through to its completion. Her primary occupation was stay at home Mom. She was able to quickly grasp concrete ideas and could organize and plan the best way to accomplish things with remarkable consistency. Barbara was good at staying on track and was considerate in listening to what others had to say. In this way, Barbara had a true gift for being able to come up with practical resolutions to difficult problems.

Barbara liked to experience things first hand, in addition to simply learning about them. This quality influenced Barbara's choice of leisure time activities. A methodical and patient worker, Barbara preferred to set aside uninterrupted time to work on her hobbies. Her favorite pursuits were singing and spending time with her grandchildren. Barbara was content to sit quietly alone, enjoying her hobbies all by herself and could often be found just reading about her favorite pastimes.

While thorough and measured in her approach to things, Barbara often liked to physically do things rather than just think about them. She was like that with sports. She also enjoyed the statistical data and the facts behind the sports. In this way, she was something of a sports fan and enjoyed watching her favorite teams whenever she got the opportunity. Tops on her list were Baseball, Football and she loved the Olympics.

Anyone who traveled or went on vacation with Barbara had smooth sailing. It was often taken for granted that she was the trip planner. She would start early and examine all of the possibilities, selecting the best and most effective options. Favorite vacations included Niagara Falls, Washington D.C., Paris, France, Germany and spending time at the ocean.

Barbara passed away on May 6, 2010 at her home in her sleep. She fought a brave battle against COPD and CHF. She is survived by her sons Eddie, Richard, Billy and Bobby; her grandchildren Ashley, Bradley, Jared, Joshua, Chad, Shonda, Daniel and Ryan. Services were held at First Baptist Church of Redding. Barbara was laid to rest in Redding Memorial Park.

It is said that some people can’t see the forest for the trees. Barbara was able to focus on each individual tree, tending to its needs, thus making the forest stronger as a whole. Barbara was a trustworthy, pragmatic and sympathetic person, the kind of woman to whom everyone was drawn. She was thorough and practical. Barbara Leiferman was very literal with her words. You always knew where you stood with Barbara. She will be missed.