In Memory

Barbara Wentsel (Pendergrass-Simms)

Barbara Wentsel (Pendergrass-Simms)

Barbara Pendergrass

B.Thursday, May 25, 1944D.Wednesday, July 5, 2017

Barbara

Pendergrass

Barbara Lou Pendergrass, age 73, of Arnold, Mo passed away peacefully July 5, 2017 in St Louis. She was born May 25, 1944 in Grand Rapids, MI, the daughter of David and Luella Vaksvik Wentsel. Her second husband Olan Pendergrass preceded her in death. 

She is survived by three children: Todd Simms (Lois), Greg Simms ( Billie Jo ), and Renee Simms, three grandchildren: Tonielle Masterson, Donald Simms, Kacee Simms and one step grandchild, Cody Higdon, three sisters: Suzanne Olson, Karen Juntunen (Charles) and Jill Eliason. She was preceeded in death by a sister, Marie Shirk. 

Barb showed us how to live with chronic health issues with dignity and cheerfulness. She lived life generously and passionately with great humor. Barb was a joy to all she knew and all she met. 

A memorial will be held at the Grand Forks Cemetery Saturday, September 2nd at 1:00. If attending, please wear blue.  Interment location for Barbara is at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery in St. Louis, MO with Olan.



 
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08/23/17 02:16 PM #1    

M. Faye Iverson (Leeson)

So sorry to hear of Barbs passing. I knew Barb since 2nd grade. Even though I haven't kept in touch with her

I'll always remember how friendly she and cheerful she was.


08/23/17 11:05 PM #2    

Margaret Berg (Kline)

I'm so sorry to hear about Barb's passing.  I have many wonderful memories of time spent at her house during our grade school years, going across the street to Central Park for skating, sledding and tobogganing in the winter, and playing in the park in the summer.  Good times and good memories.  I will have to miss her memorial service because of distance, but I'll be thinking of her at that time.  My thoughts and prayers are with her family.


08/24/17 05:49 PM #3    

Judith Monson (Spangle)

I,too, used to go to Barb's house and go across the street to ice skate.  She was a good skater (much better than me). I remember she was double jointed and could do a lot of contortions. I have very nice memories of her. RIP.


08/25/17 06:08 PM #4    

Dorothy Monson (Patrick)

I also remember going to her house across from the skating rink.  I loved their busy household with all those sisters!   The ice skating rink at Central Park was a big draw.   I remember  going into the warming hut with the big roaring fire in the stove, clomping across the wooden floor in our skates.         Barb  was a fun classmate at Belmont School.   Good memories.


08/26/17 11:04 AM #5    

Nancy Morrison (Anderson)

I remember Barb from Sunday School and Confirmation at United Lutheran Church.  We did have a few classes together at Central, too.  My mother related to me way back when that her mother and my mother were both classmates and neighbors growing up in the Roosevelt/South Jr. High part of town.  She was always smiley and happy as I remember.  God bless her memory.


08/26/17 02:53 PM #6    

Judy Prosser (DeMers)

So sorry to learn of Barb's death.  As others have commented, I loved the ice skating at Central Park with Barb and others and her Mom's welcoming us into their home.  During our senior year in high school, we dated guys who were friends, so that brought us closer also.  We drifted apart after high school graduation when Barb married her guy and I went to UND.  It was many years later when I ran into Barb again at the UND athletic department.  It was a short but nice reunion.  My sympathy to her family.  Judy Prosser DeMers


08/27/17 10:41 AM #7    

Kathi Hankerson (Hjelmstad)

Barb and I connected when we both returned to Grand Forks as single parents. We quickly became fast friends. She had such a positive attitude and we had great times together. I was so happy for her when she found Olan and was honored to stand up for her when they married. We lost touch when they moved to Texas and we missed them in our lives!

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