Barbara Dixon

Barbara Dixon completed her climb on the stairway to heaven on February 11, 2026. She passed peacefully at home with her daughter Ann Marie and her caregivers. Barbara Jo (she didn't really like the "Jo" but that is what her family knew her by) was born February 24, 1930, in Livermore Kentucky. She was the youngest of three daughters until her twin brothers were born 13 years later. Her big claim to fame as a child was cutting the ribbon on the Owensboro side for the opening of the Owensboro Blue bridge.

Barbara's father, E.G. Lindemann, was a member of the bridge commission. She graduated from St. Joseph High School where she enjoyed playing in the marching band and playing the organ. Barbra and her two sisters, Agatha and Mary Ann, enjoyed preforming drama and musicals through the American Legion of Owensboro. She would walk blocks to take her singing lessons and absolutely loved singing in the Owensboro Choral Society, especially the annual Hadel's Messiah.

Through her life you could always hear her singing or humming. Barbara loved family gatherings for the holidays and singing Christmas songs around the piano. She became an X-ray technician at Owensboro Daviess County Hospital where she would work until her marriage in 1961 to John L. Dixon, MD. Her main focus for the rest of her life was to create a beautiful, healthy, peaceful and above all spiritual home for her husband and two children.

Her joy was to make her family and all those around her happy. She saw God's love in all her surroundings and was always happy to share her "little slice of heaven" on the farm with everyone. Many friends would fish in the lakes and even come to catch turtles for soup. Others would come to swim in her pool or just relax in the many of her sitting areas surrounded by nature. She highly valued her longtime friend Loyd who took care of her yard and helped in the gardens, along with Ann Marie, especially after she wasn't able to take care of them in later years. She enjoyed visiting her family and friends. Her goal was to make each person feel special. She was constantly grateful to God for all He had given her.

Barbara’s greatest gift to others was her love- it was unwavering, unconditional, and never stopped growing. She enjoyed horseback riding, photography, and cooking. Making cookies at Christmas was always important to her. She began making cookies of different types to take to work at the hospital. Her family and friends would receive big boxes and tins of homemade cookies every Christmas. It wasn't Christmas until the box arrived.

She continued this practice until she was unable to work in the kitchen any more and patiently taught her daughter the art of cookie making, who now continues this tradition.

Barbara’s passion was her gardening. She enjoyed the beauty of the flowers and would be found most days tending to her gardens and offering up her love and work to God. It gave her peace and strength. She spent many years volunteering her time making gardens for the Passionist Nuns while they were in Owensboro as well at St. Martin Church. She loved watching nature from her back porch.

Seeing the geese raise their young, watching the hummingbirds wiz by, and all the other critters that kept life moving along. She had two great losses, first the death of her husband in 1980, and then the death of her son Tom in 2015. After her husband's death she continued to raise her children to appreciate their Catholic faith and in her husband's footsteps, to see God's beauty in nature.

Barbara never missed Sunday mass and often visited the church during the week. She found strength in her religion. Through the loss of her husband and son her faith helped carry her through. Parrish priests at St. Martin church and especially Fr Pat Bittel have been most valuable helping her in her spiritual growth. In later years Fr. Pat became a part of her family in her heart.

Preceding her in death were her husband John, her son James Thomas, her parents E.G. Lindemann and Cathrine Sherm Lindemann, older siblings, Mary Ann (William) Burke, and Agatha Lindemann, stepson John Dixon Jr, and stepdaughter Ruth (Bud)Allison.

She is survived by her daughter Ann Marie (Sue) Dixon, her brothers Michael (Gloria) Lindemann, and David (Edna) Lindemann, her daughter-in-law Kathy Thompson, and grandchildren Samuel, Joseph (engaged to Clara), and Theo (Vesper). Step grandchildren, Patty, Frannie, John Patrick, Chris, Robert, Shawn, Joel, Shannon, Lynch, and Tony. Special Thanks to Barbara's caregivers, Ameliah, Maelynn, Tabatha, Nevaeh, Annette, Hospice and Home Instead.

The funeral service will be 11:00 a.m. Saturday, February 21, 2026, at St. Martin Catholic Church, where visitation will begin at 9:00 a.m. Care by Glenn Funeral Home and Crematory.

Expressions of sympathy may take the form of contributions to St. Martin Catholic Church, Passionist Nuns of Whitesville, or Hospice of Western Kentucky.