Barbara Kristan Grant

Barbara was born on the 4th of January 1914 in New York City, New York. Until the age of eight years old, she lived with her family in Chicago, Illinois. Both natives of Chicago, IL, her father, Frank John Kristan, owned and operated a bakery, and her mother, Anna Julia Wiora was a housewife. Their ethnicity was Bohemian, Polish and Hungarian. With fond memories, Barbara remembered the fragrant aroma of Bohemian Pumpernickel bread wafting throughout the house. The bakery was a family business with Barbara’s two older brothers Charles and William working with their dad. Later when Barbara was old enough, she would join the others and loved watching the baking process. From then on and throughout their lives, beautiful dark-haired, Barbara was the center of the family’s attention.

In the 1920’s, the family moved to California, where her father started another bakery in the San Fernando Valley. Barbara attended the local schools, graduation from North Hollywood High School in 1933. There she met her future husband Franklin John Grant Sr. They married on the 25th of January, 1934 and in the future would celebrate 61 years of marriage. Their first child, Franklin John Grant Junior was born on 2 November 1934. A second child, Marilyn Dorothy Grant was born 2 January 1939.

Barbara’s husband worked as a sign painter in North Hollywood, CA, while Barbara developed an “at home” seamstress business which helped her family as a second income. Barbara’s skills were very much in demand as she could sew complicated dresses, coats, evening gowns and whatever her many customers desired. Her daughter, Marilyn, remembers many hours watching “Mama” make beautiful creations, and as the years passed many gorgeous dresses and gowns for her daughter and matching outfits for them both.

Barbara was very artistically gifted. Not only an accomplished seamstress, but later on an accomplished painter of china and porcelain, as well as the artistic craft of decoupage. Besides playing the piano, Barbara loved singing in the school choir surprising everyone with her beautiful voice.

You cannot live for 102 years and not know tragedy as well as joy. Barbara lived to mourn the loss of her father, Frank John Kristan (1874-1943) to cancer, her mother Anna Julia Wiora Kristan (1876-1925) to muscular dystrophy, her husband, Franklin John Grant (1912-1996) to heart disease, Mother-in-Law, Clara Elizabeth Husted (1890-1977), brothers Charles James Kristan (1996-1978), William Henry Kristan (1897-1973), her Son-in-Law, Robert F. Smith (1923-2008) and most tragically, her son Franklin John Grant Junior (1934-1953) in a motorcycle accident when he was 18 years hold. Dear Friends and relatives that predeceased her are Rosemary Cohan of Alameda, Edward and Dorothy Brakenbury, Sr. of Auburn, CA, Bill and Emily Dickson of Auburn, CA, Carol Fuller of Hesperia, CA, Margaret Ferrier of Laguna Beach, CA and Tammy, Barbara’s beloved terrier.

Barbara is survived by her daughter, Marily Dorothy Grant Smith, Granddaughter, Julia Barbara Smith Rhine, Son-in-Law, Edward John Rhine Junior, Great Grandsons, Elliot Baxter and Oliver Logan Rhine (Identical Twins), nieces: Tara Pinder and Julia Wenzel, nephews: Tracy Grant and Edward Brackenbury Jr., and Brother and Sister-in-Laws, Donald Gordon Grant and Billie Jo Dickson Grant of Auburn, CA, and Maggie, Barbara’s beloved companion cat. Barbara was a member of the Hanford, Christian Reformed Church and made lasting friendships with Jan Visser, Elsie Bowlby Barba and Pastor Harold Minnema, deceased.

Barbara Kristan Grant will be buried at the Auburn District Cemetery, in Auburn, CA. Burial services will be held there on Friday, July 15, 2016 at 11 am. People’s Funeral Chapel in Hanford, CA have been in charge of all arrangements.

Hold though they cross before my closing eyes,

Shine through the gloom, and point me to the skies,

Heaven’s morning breaks, and earth’s vain shadows flee,

In life, in death, O Lord, abide with me.

Henry Francis Lyte