Obituary of Barbara Jane Smolik

Smolik, Barbara Lindholm age 89, died peacefully on Saturday, April 27, 2019. She was a vibrant, one-of-a kind woman who loved her family, friends, and community unreservedly and lived her life with remarkable strength and good humor. She valued kindness, generosity, service, and faith and she embodied these principles throughout her nearly nine decades of life. Barb was born and raised in St. Paul, MN, where she continued to live as she raised her three daughters along with their father, John Miesen Jr. She spent her retirement years with her husband Don, splitting their time between Green Valley, AZ and Pine City, MN. Barb was an avid sports enthusiast throughout her life. She loved rooting for her Minnesota teams, enjoyed watching golf and most importantly, her beloved sport of curling. She competed in and won the 1968 United States Women's Curling Association Championship with her team, The St. Paul Bonnie Spielers. In every community in which she lived, Barb sought impactful ways to contribute. She was an active member of Thursday Club and PEO and she was particularly passionate about women's advancement and education initiatives. True to her warm and welcoming spirit, Barb also served as a resident ambassador at Boutwells Landing, where she was responsible for welcoming new members of the community and making them feel at home. Barb was a woman of great faith and was an active church member wherever she was residing, most recently at Ascension Episcopal Church in Stillwater, MN. She was preceded in death by her husband, Donald Smolik; her mother, Ruth Lindholm; her sister, Ann Carlson; and her daughter, Jane Kellgren. She is survived by her daughters, Laura Rotherham (Phillip) of Bozeman, MT, and Katherine Miesen (Eric Wolf) of Minneapolis, MN; her son-in-law, James Kellgren (Nancy) of Inver Grove Heights, MN; and her grandchildren, Ryan Rotherham, Lindsay Rotherham (Richard Jenkinson), Logan Wolf (Kelsey), and Emilee Wolf, as well as many nieces and nephews and dear, lifelong friends. The family would like to thank the entire staff at Boutwells Landing for their friendship and their loving and genuine care for Barb, as well as the Lakeview Hospice Care team that made Barb's final transition peaceful and dignified. A celebration of Barb's life will be held on Thursday, May 30, 2019 at 11:00am with an hour of sharing beginning at 9:30am at Ascension Episcopal Church, 214 3rd Street North, Stillwater, MN. A luncheon will immediately follow the service at The Lake Elmo Event Center, 3712 Layton Avenue North, Lake Elmo MN In lieu of flowers, donations may be directed to the Minnesota Chapter of the Lupus Society, Lakeview Hospice Care, or a charity of your choice.