Barbara Kay Brown (1939-2024) was a kind and caring woman who put others first even when her own circumstances were hard. Even when confined to a wheelchair herself, she found ways to put her artistic talents into use to help refugees and the poor. She passed away peacefully in her bed in Spanish Fork, Utah on July 21, 2024 at the age of 85.

She was born in Broken Bow, Nebraska to Orvil Fred Hickman and Ceacil Erma Hendricks, and then grew up in Nyssa, Oregon. She loved telling stories of growing up on her family’s farm, raising animals, and participating in 4H. Barbara was the sister to Lynnette, Larry, and Marilyn.

She met her husband, Virgil Jesse Brown, and they were married on Feb 1, 1960 in Winnemucca, Nevada. They had four children together, Nick, Kathy, Katie, and Laura, raising them mostly in Boise, Idaho. The family enjoyed camping, horseback riding, and road trips, especially to the Oregon coast. As their kids moved around the country, they enjoyed traveling to visit them. They also opened their hearts and home to raise their grandchildren Tyson and Chelsea as their second family.

Barbara graduated from Boise Junior College School of Nursing (now Boise State) and became a well respected critical care nurse, who loved helping patients and also published articles in the Critical Care Update magazine. She had special training at Cedar-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, and she trained nurses all around Idaho in coronary and intensive care nursing and how to read EKGs. She also studied Business at Boise State.

She also developed many talents. She was a great landscape artist, using paint, charcoal, pencil, and pastels. Her crochet projects were beautiful and creative. She loved to make things to give away to loved ones and the needy. She loved to create beautiful flower gardens. She won many blue ribbons at fairs for crochet, art, and photography.

Barbara was received joyously in heaven by her husband Virgil and two children that also preceded her in death, Nick Brown and Katie Edwards. She is survived and admired by two children, Kathy Rigby of Vernal, Utah and Laura Henry (Russell) of Spanish Fork, Utah, as well as her 10 grandchildren, 16 great grandchildren, and two great great grandchildren.

She was a devoted member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Throughout her life, she shared her testimony of Christ and her confidence in His gospel. On her birthday earlier this month, she was able to attend church with her friends in assisted living, and said afterward it was like being in heaven. Then she let her family know that she knew we would live with God again after this life.

Barbara had a kind heart that helped her quickly connect with everyone around her. She also had a quick sense of humor and the resourcefulness to find solutions to any problem. She had the ability to make people around her happier. Despite being confined to her bed near the end, she would still ask nurses and family members if they needed anything. She will be remembered for her example of thinking about others first.

The funeral services for Barbara will be held on Saturday, July 27 at 10:00 am at the Walker Funeral Home (187 South Main, Spanish Fork, UT 84660). A viewing will be held prior to the funeral, at 9:00 am. Internment will follow the funeral at the Spanish Fork Cemetery. Condolences may be sent to the family via the Walker Funeral Home.

Barbara found great joy in helping those in need. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that donations could be made to your local food bank.