Obituary

Barbara Adelle Anderson passed away peacefully in her sleep on September 16, 2013, with friends and family by her side.

Babs was born in Richmond, Minnesota, on August 22, 1944, to Edwin and Ethel Cooney, the third of their eventual five children. Despite being the middle child, Babs was the most responsible and excelled at school, being highly involved in student government.

She served as student body president for her last two years of high school, a feat never achieved before – or since – at her alma mater in Stearns County. 

Babs met her future husband, Charlie Anderson, at a church social during a raucous game of volleyball. They married three years later. They had two children together, Robbie and Susanne, and raised them in nearby St. Cloud.

Babs professional career occurred entirely at Bethlehem Lutheran Church, where she served as the children’s program director for almost 30 years. Her annual Christmas program sold out every year.

Upon retiring from the church, Barbara made a surprising career choice and pursued professional modeling. Her unprecedented success culminated in her photo being chosen as the sample portrait for a large memorial portrait company in California. Babs considers her place as the only sample model for Paradise Pictures to be the crowning achievement of her incredibly rewarding modeling career.

Barbara is survived by her two children Robbie and Susanne, who both now reside in Minneapolis.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, September 28 at 2:00pm at Bethlehem Lutheran Church, 4310 County Rd 137, St Cloud, MN 56301. A reception with snacks will follow the service in the fellowship hall. In lieu of gifts or flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the local chapter of the Boys and Girls Club.