- Date Of Birth: October 8, 1927
- Date Of Death: March 2, 2022
- State: Colorado
“Let nothing disturb you, Let nothing frighten you, All things are passing away, God never changes. Patience obtains all things. Whoever has God lacks nothing; God alone suffices.” -St Teresa of Avila
Barbara Joan Lewis Lundstrom began her earthly life on October 8, 1927 in Cloverport, KY, the fifth child of what would become a family of eleven children. Her father was a homebuilder, her mother a busy homemaker.
Barbara worked as a bookkeeper in Hillman’s Jewelry Store before moving to Mystic, CT to live with her aunt, uncle, and cousin. She worked in Mystic as a bookkeeper for both the Mystic Marine Museum and Dr. Edmondstone, MD. She was enchanted by the beauty of the Mystic Seaport and New England, but was homesick. She returned to Owensboro to contemplate a religious vocation. She completed a correspondence course to become a certified Rural Electrification Administration bookkeeper for the US Dept. of Agriculture.
In 1955, Barbara became restless again, so she hatched a plan and headed west to CO with her sisters Alice Mae, brother Michael, and cousin Catherine Ruth.. This move was inspired by her father Raphael, who had, for a time, moved his new family to Cheyenne, WY for health reasons. His songs, stories, and poems of the Rocky Mountains had always moved Barbara’s heart.
Many young single people were settling in Denver in the late 1950’s, and so did this group of Lewises. They found a community who would soon become dear friends from all over the country within the Cathedral Young Peoples’ Club and later, the St. Thomas University Club. Numerous religious, civic, and social activities took up their time. Barbara had several bookkeeping jobs here in Denver. In 1958, her sister Ann, 15 years younger, had a serious asthma attack in her home in KY. Barbara convinced their parents to allow Ann to move in with her in Denver which afforded Ann a healthier climate.
While raising the kids, Barbara kept busy.
When Bob died in 1998, Barbara continued to be Grandmother/Gram to her 14 grandchildren. They cherished their time with her playing cards, praying, making rosaries, eating and sleeping over. In the last few years, she took on the name Great Grams to three sweet little boys. She wrote countless notes of encouragement to people, played Bridge or any game, told jokes, worked puzzles, watched movies, read, made thousands of rosaries, and prayed unceasingly. She never met a stranger, and could find a connection to everyone she met.
With her family and a dear friend by her side, Barbara entered into Eternal Life on March 2, 2022 in Westminster, CO at the care Center at Northridge where she’d lived since January following a fall at home.
Barbara was preceded in death by her beloved C. Robert (Bob) Lundstrom, parents Raphael and Alice Lewis, brothers James and Joseph Lewis, sisters Mary Catherine and Alice Mae Lewis, and Teresa Morgan.
She leaves behind her daughters Joan (David) Knapp and Rita (Jon) Quintana; her sons Tom (Anne) and Rich (Julie) Lundstrom; 14 grandchildren Cecelia (Stephen) Noffke, Alaina Rose, and Joe (Michela) Knapp, Nathan (Lauren), Ryan, Daniel, Samuel, and Allison Quintana, Catherine, John, Claire, and Amy Mae Lundstrom, and Charles and Owen Lundstrom; 3 great grandsons Carl and Xavier Noffke and Jack Quintana; brothers Michael and John (Nancy) Lewis, and sisters Fran (Pappy) Cecil, Jean (John) Gulding, and Ann Lewis, and sister-in-law Francey (Joseph) Lewis; caregiver Moon Clifford; and a multitude of much-loved nephews and nieces, cousins, and dear friends.
