Barbara Jean “Nanna” Starkey, age 73, of Apple Valley, MN, passed away on Sunday, February 27, 2022. A Celebration of Barbara’s life will be held at 11:00 AM on Friday, March 4, 2022 at Trinity Church, 10658 210th St W, Lakeville, with Pastor Jason Maloney presiding. Time of gathering will be held prior to services from 10:00 – 11:00 AM. Interment Fort Snelling National Cemetery at a later date.

Barbara Jean was born in St. Paul, MN on February 23, 1949 to Earl and Betty (Wittsche) Hazard. The oldest of five children, Barbara grew up in Little Canada just outside of St. Paul. Traveling was an important part of Barbara’s life early on, road tripping with her family, piling into the family Ford. After she attended Frank R. Kellogg High School, Barbara started work in Roseville, which is where she met the love of her life, Alden Starkey. After meeting through mutual friends, Alden couldn’t get enough of Barbara, playing practical jokes on her at work at Paper-Cal. Eventually, they were united in marriage on November 22, 1969 in Minneapolis and started a family together. They were blessed with two children, Heather and Sean. Because of Alden’s work, they moved to many different places over the years, from Roseville to a lakehouse on Cedar Lake, Wilmer, Billings, MT, and then back to Minnesota in Northfield, Burnsville, Credit River, and eventually Apple Valley. Throughout their travels, dedicated to her faith, Barb was always involved with a local church and community.

As a family, Barb and Alden loved traveling everywhere they could, going to places like Florida, on ski trips out west, and to Yellowstone National Park (more times than they could count), Australia, New Zealand, and Mexico. Barbara also loved amusement parks and roller coasters, coaxing her family into joining her on Space Mountain in Disney World, and getting to absurd levels of speed on the Tea Cups. Family was very important to Barbara. Growing up with a special relationship with her grandma, she was sure to spoil her own grandchildren and develop her own special relationships with every one of them.

Barbara was famous for her gardening talents. Developing a huge vegetable garden at her home in Northfield, MN, she was known to carry a saltshaker with her while harvesting, snacking on the fresh tomatoes and goodies as she went. Later, at her home in Credit River, which was featured in the Star Tribune as the “Cube in the Woods”, she cultivated a huge garden with every flower imaginable.

Connecting with people and supporting organizations was important to Alden and Barbara. They never sought out fanfare or recognition for the contributions or volunteer time they put into their churches, the Minnesota Family Research Council, Focus on the Family, and many other organizations.

Determined, persistent, strong, hardworking, and always loving, Barbara will be greatly missed by her daughter; Heather Lee and her children, Ryan and Zoe; son, Sean Starkey and his wife Rebecca and their children, Jackson, Wesley, Elise and Evelyn; siblings, Beverly Haw, David Hazard, and Dean Hazard; and many other loving nieces, nephews, family, and friends.

She is preceded in death by husband, Alden; parents; and brother, Douglas Hazard.

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