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Barbara Joyce (Abel) Hettinger, 86, of Missoula, Montana, passed away June 20, 2024, at the Pearl Garden in The Village Senior Residence in Missoula, Montana.
Barbara Joyce was born Dec. 5, 1937, at the Council Bluffs Hospital to Fred and Vera (Shafer) Abel. Their family lived on farms near Hastings, Nebraska, and Marne, before purchasing a farm near Diagonal in 1947. Barbara attended country school through eighth grade and then graduated from Diagonal High School in 1955.
In 1957, she married Donald Rice and they moved to Osceola. To this union, three daughters were born. They later divorced and Barbara married John D. Hettinger on May 24, 1974. They lived on a farm near Lenox until 1984. During that time, Barbara became a successful Avon representative, and enjoyed trucking with John and going on motorcycle trips with him. In 1984, they moved to Missoula, Montona, where Barbara lived for the rest of her life.
Barbara continued in Avon for 35 years, achieving the President’s Club award all 35 of those years. Barbara enjoyed camping at Flathead Lake with her husband, going to Yuma, Arizona, in the winter and playing card games with other couples, until he passed in 2009. Barbara continued to travel extensively and saw many beautiful parts of the world. Barbara maintained a vigorous lifestyle and a strong faith-walk.
She was an active member of First Lutheran Church, where she held various offices of LWML, led service groups and participated in Bible studies. She even took a mission trip to Ecuador when she was 71. She has also enjoyed being a Red-Hatter and joining in their activities, as well as aquatic classes, line dancing, Tai-Chi and activities at the Senior Center. In the quieter moments, she enjoyed crocheting, sewing, reading, researching family history and being proficient on the computer.
The real love of Barbara’s life has always been her family. Growing up, she had a close-knit relationship with her immediate family as well as grandma, aunts, uncles and cousins. She passed that love on to her family, especially as sons-in-law and grandchildren were added. Never a dull moment, fun times and great memories were made.
Barbara was a faith-filled wife, mother, grandmother and friend who loved “her people,” worked hard and lived life to the fullest.
From September 2021, Barbara was lovingly cared for by many caregivers at The Pearl Garden of The Village. In addition, in her last days, she was attentively taken care of by Big Sky Palliative & Hospice of Missoula.
She was preceded in death by her husband; parents; brother, Ronald and grandson, Bryan Meyer.
Survivors include her three daughters: Diane and husband, Dan Kerr of Andover, Minnesota, Lisa and husband, Wade Meyer of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and Patsy, and husband, Jerry Kirschenheiter, of Missoula, Montana; one sister-in-law, Viola Abel, of Boone; nine grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday, June 27, at the First Lutheran Church in Missoula, with Rev. Dave Johnson officiating. Visitation is at 10 a.m. Lunch will be served directly after the service.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks memorials be given to First Lutheran Church of Missoula, Montana. Online condolences may be left at gardencityfh.com.