Barbara Jean Ross' Obituary
Barbara Jean (Batty) Ross, born August 31, 1932, in Macoupin County, Illinois, to William Everett and Leota Mae (Garner) Batty, passed away on September 20, 2024. Barbara grew up in the farming communities of Fayette and Rubicon near Greenfield, Illinois, and graduated from Greenfield High School in 1950, where she played the snare drum in the school band and served as Class President during her senior year.
On September 6, 1950, shortly after her 18th birthday, Barbara married her high school sweetheart, Robert "Bob" Lyle Ross, in Rubicon Township, Illinois. The couple moved to Collinsville, Illinois, where Bob earned a degree in childhood education from Southern Illinois University. They later moved to Fort Worth, Texas, where Bob pursued theological studies at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and Barbara supported their family by working as an upholsterer's assistant.
Barbara and Bob were blessed with four children: Craig Allen, who was born in 1959 but did not survive infancy, Carol in 1959, Gary in 1962, and Beth Ellen in 1970.
As the wife of a full-time Southern Baptist pastor, Barbara led a rich and impactful life. Together, she and Bob touched many lives and hearts while serving small to medium-sized churches in Illinois communities like Morton, Godfrey, Quincy, and DeKalb. Barbara often credited her high school home economics teacher with preparing her to cook, sew, and maintain their home for her active family, always leaving each parsonage in perfect condition.
In 1994, Barbara and Bob retired to Chatham, Illinois, where they enjoyed traveling, visiting their children and grandchildren, and spending winters in Fort Myers, Florida, and Mesa, Arizona. After ten years, they relocated to Tulsa, Oklahoma, to be near their daughter Carol and her husband, Tim. In 2013, the family bought a house together, bringing both generations under one roof. When Bob passed away in 2016 after battling Alzheimer's, Barbara continued living with Carol and Tim until her own passing.
Barbara was deeply loved for her unwavering faith, her devotion to her family, and her sharp sense of wit. The family is grateful to South Tulsa Baptist Church, her dedicated team of Care Assistants, and Transitions Life Care Hospice for their support and compassion in her final years.
An accomplished seamstress, musician, oil painter, and ultimate family organizer, Barbara will be dearly missed.
She is survived by her daughter Carol Lyons and her husband Tim of Oklahoma; granddaughters Andrea Sooter (Jason) and Vanessa Campbell (Collin); great-grandchildren Ellie, Mac, George, Poppy, Oliver, and Margo; her son Gary Ross and his wife Elizabeth, along with their sons Jack and Philip of Florida; and her daughter Ellen Guttuso and her husband Salvatore, along with their daughter Izabella of Arizona.
A graveside service will be held in the spring of 2025, where Barbara will be laid to rest in Greenfield Cemetery, Greenfield, Illinois next to her husband, Bob.
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