Barbara Jean Senneseth

She was preceded in her death by her sister Irene Markley and her mother Lois Graham along with both of her brother-in-laws Duane Senneseth and Duane Spiess. She is survived by her husband of 57 years Dennis “Denny” Senneseth and her children Erika (George) and Alex; and her beloved grandchildren Niko and Bella; her Sister-in-Law Linda Spiess; nieces Carrie Odegard and Shelly Senneseth; nephew Dave Markley (Beth and daughter Lila).

Barb met in high school Denny on a double date, where they were matched with other people; they were drawn together and the situation quickly corrected itself 😉

A spunky blonde, she graduated from Washington High School, then attended the University of Wisconsin-Lacrosse where she earned her BA in Education. She further obtained her Masters in Library Science from University of Minnesota and Masters in Psychology from the University of St. Thomas with a specialization in counseling. She was a licensed psychologist.

She was a founder of the Independent Adoption Resource Center, the first organization of its kind in Minnesota. She was a Girl Scout Troup leader and was always able to find a parade, festival, celebration, trip or adventure to bring some fun…including bringing the St. Paul Academy and Summit School Girl Scout Troup to a hotel in the middle of the night when the campsite tents were flooding from the rain. She was a patron of the arts and artists, attending hundreds of performances in her lifetime. Barb eternally brought a fun atmosphere to her family, especially around the holidays. She loved Halloween and made an excellent friendly witch.

Barb was a world traveler who was full of delightful mischief. From riding elephants in Thailand to snorkeling in Mexico, her zest for new experiences was evident to all those that knew her. A voracious reader until the end, she promoted literacy and volunteered reading to children at the St. Paul Children’s Hospital. She later curated their book collection so the kids could be entertained when she wasn’t there.

She never refused a Hot Toddy or Johnnie Walker when it was cold outside. A Vikings fan from the start, she held season tickets her whole life, and wore her jersey to watch every game all the way until her death.

The family would like to thank the extremely caring and talented staff of English Rose, where Barb spent her final year painting, playing games and going on outings. She enjoyed hosting granddaughter Bella’s first Christmas party, 1st birthday party, and her own 78th birthday party there with her caregiver Elyssa and other helpers.

The family would also like to thank Consultative Health and Medicine and First Light Home Care for their dedication and companionship in the final years of Barb’s life. The family would also like to thank the responsive and compassionate staff of Methodist Hospital for making Barb’s final hours so peaceful. The family would also like to thank Angela Fink Guererro and Bill and Susan Kirkpatrick, along with cousins and family for helping Barb and the family at the end.

In memory of Barb and her passion for reading aloud to children, libraries, curling up with a good book, literacy, educational psychology, and researching the best solutions to any struggle and advocating passionately for all her loved ones, the family requests donations to Sandhills School, a non-profit school where bright children with dyslexia including her beloved grandson Niko learn to read. Sandhills School is a non-profit, independent school at 803-695-1400 located at 1500 Hallbrook Drive, Columbia, SC 29209 www.sandhillsschool.org/giving

A celebration of life will be planned at a later date, but family and friends are gathering this Monday, October 9th to share stories and snacks from 12:00-2:00 at 7250 Lewis Ridge Parkway, Edina, MN 55439.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.sunsetfuneralservices.com for the Senneseth family.