Barbara A. Heywood passed away Tuesday, November 3, 2020 at the Goshen Care Center in Torrington, Wyoming 6-1/2 weeks shy of her 92nd birthday. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held Tuesday, November 10th at 11:00 AM at Christ the King Catholic Church with Father Michael McDonald and Father Stephen Deaver officiating. Interment will follow at West Lawn Cemetery in Gering. Visitation will be Monday, November 9th from 10:00 AM to 4:30 PM at Gering Memorial Chapel, 1755 11th Street, Gering. Rosary Service will follow at Christ the King Catholic Church, 1730 N Street, Gering, at 6:00 P.M. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Barbara Heywood family. Online condolences may be left at www.geringchapel.com.
Barbara Anne was the 2nd of twin girls born to Joseph and Josephine (Willy) Hiller at the Hackney Ranch on the Oregon Trail’s Little Blue River west of Hebron, Nebraska on December 18, 1928, the 7th of 9 children. Her early years were spent on her folk’s farms, where she did a man’s work while older brothers were serving in World War II. After graduating from Hebron High School in 1946, she attended college at Marymount in Salina, Kansas and Kearney State before teaching schools in Thayer County and Wall, South Dakota. In 1951, she moved to Chadron, Nebraska to further her education.
She met Donald Heywood and they were married at Hebron on February 20, 1954. Don was a full-time National Guard member; and in 1965 they moved to Scottsbluff, where he was promoted to Operator Sergeant. Later he accepted commission to CWO3. Barb was employed by Thomas Montague and Wes Robinson at Fisher-Montague Electric, Inc for 22 ½ years. She loved baseball, especially the Yankees and Rockies. She played town team and college softball every chance she got. She enjoyed coaching her girls’ softball teams. She took pride in supporting her children and grandchildren’s sporting events, musical endeavors, marching band, school plays, and etc. She and Don bowled in various leagues for many years. They also visited (donated to) casinos in South Dakota, Colorado and Nevada. After retiring, she participated in several pinochle clubs.
Survivors include 5 children: Thomas (Linda) Heywood, Donita (Charlie) Berg, Jean (Thomas) Vancil, Joseph Heywood, and Christopher Heywood; 8 grandchildren Cassie Jespersen (Derrick), Charlene Berg (Rebecca Blackbyrd), Cody Adamson (Tracy), Alexander Berg (Dana), Jordie Adamson (Pamela), Bridgett Rivas (Christian), Adam Vancil (Meagan), and Robyn Anne Stegmaier (Gary), 11 great grandchildren; one brother Joseph Richard Hiller, one sister Carolyn (William) Kassebaum, sister-in-law Barbara Hiller, and many nieces, nephews, cousins, grand nieces, and grand nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents, husband Donald in 1997, son and daughter Tony and Robyn in 1985, twin infant sons, John and James in 1966, grandson Jeremiah Berg in 1982, 4 older brothers Arthur, Hugh, Theodore and Robert, one older sister Marie, and twin sister Bernice Joan.