Obituary of Barbara J Grensted
Barbara J. Claus was born 1929 in Peoria, Illinois, the
only child of Herman and Betty Claus. Her family
eventually moved to California, where she attended high
school and college..
In 1954 she graduated from Biola College with a degree
in education and a minor in accounting. While she was in
college she met Douglas Grensted, who was in the Navy.
They got married in 1954 and eventually settled in
Grover City, where her husband went into a mortuary
business with his father. Their daughter Beth was born
in 1955 and another daughter Lynne was born in 1957.
In 1968 her husband went on a hunting trip to Lake
Tahoe and never returned. After extensive
investigations he was never found, forcing Barbara to
care for her daughters, who were 13 and 11 at the time.
Barbara sold the mortuary business and in 1969 she and
her daughters moved to Mt. Hermon where her
husband’s aunt and uncle lived. Because finances were
tight she was always resourceful and taught her
daughters to do the same. She worked at odd jobs over
the years before eventually coming on staff at Mt
Hermon Christian Conference center in the accounting
department, where she worked for 18 years.
Barbara was always very involved in the churches she
attended, where she taught Sunday School, was on a
missions committee, and volunteered in various duties
including counting offerings, folding bulletins and what
ever work needed to be done. She was very interested
in missions, praying for and financially supporting
missionaries over the years. She volunteered with
Habitat for Humanity on one of their builds. She was a
Girl Scout Troup Leader for about 5 years. She had a
reputation in Mt. Hermon for knitting baby sweaters.
Usually whenever she finished one there was always
someone who was pregnant and in need of one.
Barbara had two grandchildren, David and Becka
Thurston, and always loved spending time with them,
either when they would visit her in California or when
she visited them in Oregon. Over the years there
where many who called Barbara their Mom.
She is survived by her daughter Beth Grensted, her
daughter Lynne Thurston and husband Alan and
grandchildren David (and wife Meghan) and Becka. Her
family always meant very much to her.
Barbara will be greatly missed by many people. She will
be remembered for her faith, loyalty, kindness,
helpfulness, and motherly love. Our loss on this earth is
truly heaven’s gain.
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