Barbara Jean Granquist's Obituary
Barbara Jean Granquist
February 23, 1931—June 11, 2017
Barbara Jean Granquist, the daughter of Hans and Alma Tidemann, was born February 23, 1931 in Seattle, Washington. She and her family lived in Port Alexander, Alaska, until she was 5 years old, then moved to Seattle, settling in Ballard. She attended Crown Hill Elementary School and Loyal Heights Middle School. Barb graduated from Ballard High School in 1948 and worked in downtown Seattle, where she did accounting for the Fisherman’s Co-Op. On June 8, 1951, she married Richard Granquist, whom she had first met while they were both in high school. Dick worked for Weyerhaeuser and they made numerous moves over the course of his career, living in Klamath Falls, Oregon for five years, followed by a two year stint in Cosmopolis, Washington, then moving to Fircrest, Washington, where they lived for more than twenty years. In 1968 Barb began attending Highline Community College in Federal Way, graduating in 1970 as a registered nurse. She worked at Saint Joseph’s Hospital in Tacoma. She attended Pacific Lutheran University and earned her bachelor’s degree in nursing in 1975 while working full time. She continued working at St. Joseph’s, serving as a critical care nurse until her retirement. In 1985, Barb and Dick moved to the Key Peninsula, where they built a house and Barb commuted to Tacoma. They resided on the Key Peninsula until 2004 when they moved to Lakeland Village in Allyn, Washington. While living in Tacoma, Barb and Dick were members of Immanuel Lutheran Church. After moving to the Key Peninsula, Barb and Dick served as volunteer chaplains for the Key Peninsula Fire Department and as Stephen Ministers at Key Peninsula Lutheran Church. After moving to Allyn, Barb became an active member of Christ Lutheran Church in Belfair, serving in many roles ranging from Altar Guild to volunteer office staff. Barb also enjoyed gardening, traveling to visit family, and spending time on the Oregon Coast. Following a long battle with cancer, Barb died at her home on Sunday, June 11, 2017, a few days after she and Dick celebrated their 66th wedding anniversary. Barb is survived by her husband Dick, her son David and his wife Rosa; her daughter Tina and numerous grandchildren and great grandchildren. She is preceded in death by her sister Winetta, and her daughter Wendy. There will be a graveside committal service on Friday, June 23 at 1:30 p.m., at Mountainview Cemetery in Tacoma, followed by a memorial service at Christ Lutheran Church in Belfair at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, June 24. In lieu of flowers, the family invites memorial contributions to Christ Lutheran Church 3701 NE North Shore Road, Belfair, WA 98528.
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