August 16, 1927 – March 11, 2025

Proud of her Canadian heritage, Barbara Jane MacPherson was the youngest of 5 children born to Iowa & M.A. MacPherson in Regina, Saskatchewan on August 16, 1927. Barbara received a degree in Dietetics & Nutrition from the University of Manitoba. As a young professional she worked at the Central Alberta Sanatorium (tuberculosis sanatorium) outside of Calgary. Here is where she met her future husband Jonathan (Jon – from Kentucky) while attending a dance during the Calgary Stampede. They were united in Holy Matrimony in Canada and soon after, she moved to Kentucky in 1950. Her first son was born in 1951 and later the family moved to Denver CO where they had 4 more children. During this time, Jon and Barbara discovered Grand County, where they bought a piece of land on County Road 8 and divided it into smaller lots for their close friends to build cabins. During the summers and vacations, their 5 children would enjoy growing up in Grand County surrounded by the mountains -of which many years were without running water or electricity-. In 1974 the family settled in the Frasier Valley where they became very involved with the community and it became the highlight of her life.

Barbara, along with her soulmate Jon, relished physical activity especially cross-country skien, hiking, and Barbara reading a book by a stream while Jon fished. As her daughter often told people: “Mom is a mountain woman.”
Both Barbara & Jon loved entertaining. They were well known for their nighttime cross country ski parties at Christmas. Barbara used her intellect to help the communities she lived in, whether it was organizing lectures about planned parenthood in Louisville KY or being a staunch supporter of the Frasier Library and Church of the Eternal Hills. She worked parttime as a special education teacher in the Grand County Schools, where she made a difference in the lives of students with diverse learning needs. In every community where she lived and well into her 90’s, she started book clubs, knitting clubs and creative writing clubs. Age never stood in her way. Education and proper nutrition where her principal values. She always had a sharp memory and wherever she lived during her 97 years, she dedicated her time to others. Barbara was a passionate painter, avid reader and news hound, quick to understand global fragility, always with a keen interest in politics, climate and global poverty. She donated where she thought a difference could be made. A hallmark characteristic was her wicked sense of humor, enthusiasm and readiness for family time. She was constantly keeping her adult kids and others humble.
In her 80’s and 90’s she moved to Colorado, New Mexico, Ohio, Oregon, North Carolina and Canada. Even at a late age, she always loved to travel, – attending a family wedding to Peru in her late 80’s and with family to Aruba twice in her 90’s.

In gratitude for a lady of excellent character and wisdom, her beloved family and friends recognize and aspire to learn from a life lived to its fullest, graciously and generously.

On the 11th of March 2025, Barbara was reunited with her husband Jon. She is survived by her children Don (& Jontsje) Belknap, Bill Belknap, Sandy (& Terry) Dangler, Jo Belknap (& Scott Summers) and Jim (& Laurie) Belknap, 11 grandchildren and 7 great grandchildren.

True to her Scottish heritage, one of her lasts requests was a
‘gin & tonic’…