BARBARA LYNNE ANDERSON

June 13, 1966–April 3, 2024

Barbara Lynne Anderson of Newcastle, Wyoming, passed into Real Life on April 3, 2024, at home, after enduring advanced gall bladder cancer. She was 57 years old.

“Barbie” was born June 13, 1966, in St. Paul, Minnesota, to Ron and Darla Nash.

In the summer of 1984, Barb traveled to Europe on a mission trip with Reign Ministries. Barb recalled, “That summer was absolutely life changing for me.”

In the fall of 1984, she started beauty school in St. Cloud, Minnesota, which began her hair cutting career. In the fall of 1985, Barb enrolled at St. Paul Bible College for vocal music. It was there that she met her future husband, Jonathan Anderson, in the winter of 1986 in choir at SPBC.

After graduating college, Barb taught music in Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota, and worked as a nanny during the summer months. Meanwhile, Jon became the youth pastor at Barb’s home church in Zimmerman, Minnesota. Jon and Barb were married at St. Paul Bible College on June 29, 1991, and Barb instantly became a pastor’s wife. While at Zimmerman, Barb directed some major community choir dinner events and was involved in Bible studies and building meaningful lifelong relationships.

In 1996, Barb gave birth to their firstborn child, Emma, and became a stay-at-home mom. Lydia, Jonathan, and Isaiah completed the family.

Shortly after Isaiah was born, God moved the family to Newcastle on Feb. 14, 2009. Barb home-schooled all her children, providing them with an excellent education while instilling in each one of them good character, which will serve them well throughout their whole lives on this earth. The local home school group benefitted from Barb’s musical talents, she directed the music for several home-school plays and talent shows, while in Newcastle, at Gateway Fellowship Church.

One of her favorite things was to sing worship on Sunday mornings. Barb served alongside Jon in ministry for 34 years in total, teaching music, directing choirs, singing on worship teams, leading Bible studies, mentoring other women and mothers, caring for children, and loving people.

Her family said, “Probably the most cherished thing Barb accomplished was, out of her own brokenness, she built genuine, meaningful, caring, honest relationships with other broken people she met. Perhaps you are one of them. Thank you for honoring her by supporting her through her battle with cancer. The most important thing on earth to Barb was the mercy, grace, love, and forgiveness freely given to her by her Lord Jesus Christ. In the past four months, she often quoted Philippians 1:21 ‘For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.’”

Barb is survived by her husband, Jonathan D. Anderson; daughters, Emma L. Anderson (27) and Lydia G. Anderson (19); sons, Jonathan R. Anderson (18) and Isaiah M. Anderson (15); father, Ron (Kathy) Nash; sisters, Brenda (Jim) Helmuth of Eagle River, Alaska, Donna (Bob) Koch of New Richmond, Wisconsin, Bilina (Brandon) Hiatt of Zimmerman, Lindsay (Bryan) Doyle of Woodland Park, Colorado; brothers, David (Kelley) Scales of St. Francis, Minnesota, Brian (Sarah) Scales of Zimmerman, and Chet (Taylor) Nash of Junction City, Oregon.

Barb is preceded in death by her mother, Darla J. Scales, in November 2003; step-father, Allan B. Scales, in August 2018; grandfather, Russel Emery, in October 1979; grandmother, Virginia Emery, in November 2003; grandmother, Gladys Stoeckmann, in November 1977; and grandfather, George Nash, in January 1988.

Funeral service will be held Saturday, April 13, at Gateway Fellowship Church at 1:30 p.m. at 12 Old Hwy. 85 Newcastle. Interment will be held at Greenwood Cemetery at 11 a.m. Saturday, April 13.

“Thank you to our wonderful community for the strong support given to our family during this difficult time. Thank you to our Church family who have faithfully lifted us and joined with us in our weeping. We need you all to know that God has fulfilled all of His promises to Barb. He has given her the same kind of resurrection that He had (see Romans 6:5). She has shed her body which was perishable and now has put on the imperishable. Death has no victory over her, in fact, God used her weakness “to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us” 2 Corinthians 4:7,” said her family.

Condolences may be sent to the family in care of Meridian Mortuary, 111 S. Railway Ave., Newcastle, WY, 82701 or expressions of sympathy may also be made online at meridianmortuary.com.