Barbara Delores (Parkinson) Pumarlo

Born into this world December 15th, 1938, Barbara Pumarlo, 84, our Mother, Grandma and Auntie went home to the Lord August 9th, 2023 – passing away at her home in Shakopee MN.

A Memorial Service will be held on Wednesday, August 16, 2023, at 1:30 pm, with a time of gathering starting at 1 pm, at Ballard-Sunder Funeral & Cremation, 833 South Marschall Road, Shakopee, MN.

Livestreaming of Barbara’s service will be available at the link below:

Barb Pumarlo Celebration of Life

A Funeral Service and Interment will also be held in Niobe, North Dakota at 3 pm on August 20, 2023 at Elmdale Lutheran Cemetery.

She was born to Leonard and Alvina (Grenvik) Parkinson, at her parent’s farmhouse in Kenmare, North Dakota on a winter day and spent most of her life in Kenmare before moving to Minnesota to be near her son after her husband’s death. Baptized and married in the Methodist United Church and graduating from Kenmare Public High School in 1956 – she cultivated a rich and vibrant life in her years in Kenmare. First and foremost, with and for her family and secondly as an intensely active member of the community in which she lived.

Married on June 23rd, 1957 to her husband Ronald, for 57 years they built a family and a life together. She worked alongside her husband and was his partner in building and growing the family farm while at the same time building their family life. She brought two children into this world, Kevin and Robin and became grandma to their children Samantha, Kristoffer, Bethany, Krista, Sean, and Sam; all of whom have survived her in death and carry her memory forward.

Barb had a passion for people and engaged with them across many facets in the community. At a community wide and regional level, she took a lead role in working to orchestrate Kenmare’s 100th anniversary. She was a board member for North Central Human Services in North Dakota and was on the Ward County Library board, and finally worked to help orchestrate bringing the “Art Train” to Kenmare as part of a larger area wide Library effort.

In more localized roles she was a member of the local PEO chapter L serving in all its officer roles and worked to encourage membership within the community. As a member of Elmdale Lutheran church, she led Sunday and Bible school programs, was on the church council, and participated and led many of its women’s groups. And as an avid lifetime reader she was part of many types of book clubs and coffee groups.

And finally, not one to let her later years diminish living life, she continued in similar roles and activities while living in Minnesota in two different retirement communities.

Through it all though, there was always, always time for a cup of coffee with family and friends – for casual conversation, deep chats on any number of topics, or just being there to listen. And if you heard it once, you heard it a thousand times, till the very end – “can I get you anything?” – her passion and love for family and friends never wavered, ever.

Survivors: son, Kevin (Kae) Pumarlo; daughter, Robin (Jim) Nolin; grandkids, Samantha Pumarlo Graf, Kristoffer Pumarlo, Bethany Pumarlo, Krista (Bob) Avila, Sean (Marymargaret) Nolin, and Sam Nolin; brothers, Roger (Lois) Parkinson and Richard (Joy) Parkinson; and nephews and nieces, Paula, Caela, Cary, Chad, Mike, Shawn, and Troy.

Preceded in death: husband, Ronald; parents, Leonard and Alvina Parkinson; brother, Dennis Parkinson; parents-in-law, Earl and Ann Pumarlo.

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