Barbara Newman Kroeze

Barbara Newman Kroeze, 88 years old, passed away on December 10, 2024, after a short battle with cancer. She did so with the support of her family, hospice care, and the kind aides and nurses of St. Catherine's Village in Madison, MS. Barbara was born the oldest child of W.R. "Buck" Newman Jr. and Elizabeth Bentley Newman. She graduated from Central High School in Jackson, MS. Barbara then went to Converse College in Spartanburg, SC, transferring to Ole Miss in her sophomore year where she was a member of Delta Delta Delta sorority. She married Louis E. Ridgway Jr. in 1956 and later completed her degree at Belhaven College in 1958 just prior to the birth of the first of her two children. Barbara married Dr. Herbert A. Kroeze Jr. in 1973 and they remained happily married until his death in 2012.
Barbara and Herb moved from Jackson to Madison, MS near the Chapel of the Cross where she was an active member of the congregation. In addition to her family, Barbara's great loves in life were gardening, cooking and genealogy. As an active member of the Garden Club of Jackson, she was initially enthusiastic about roses, competing and winning awards. Later she became more interested in vegetable gardening to complement her love of cooking. After moving to St. Catherine's in 2016, she helped develop a communal gardening area for her tomatoes and vegetables.
Barbara's love of cooking extended to an appreciation for the science of cooking. She took courses from well-known US chefs and traveled to France to study with Madeleine Kamman. Chef Kamman later invited her back to France to work as her assistant for a summer. Barbara conducted "scientific" trials experimenting with giving her chickens different feeds to achieve a more tender meat and was always tweaking recipes multiple times to achieve the most delicious result. Barbara was most proud of her recognition from the Mississippi Dept. of Archives and History for modernizing the "63 Egg Cake" recipe. This large wedding cake, baked in a special pan, won first prize in the first Mississippi State Fair in 1857. Her recipe is still used at the Chapel of the Cross's "Day in the Country" festival.
Barbara's natural curiosity led to an interest in genealogy and generated many stories about her forebearers, some of which were difficult to believe. She was a member of the D.A.R. and The Jamestown Society.
Barbara was preceded in death by her parents as well as her husband, Herbert A. Kroeze Jr. and her brother, William R. Newman III. She is survived by her sister, Carolyn Newman McIntyre (Buddy) and sister-in-law, Nancy Mize Newman; her children, Carolyn Bentley Ridgway of Jackson and Louis E. Ridgway III (Leah) of Kansas City; her grandchildren, Elizabeth Walker Wilkins (Joel), Caroline Walker Sims (Matthew), Louis E. Ridgway IV (Bethany), Claire Ridgway, and Bradford Walker (Catherine); as well as 6 great grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.
Barbara was a member of First Presbyterian Church of Jackson. Her funeral service will be held there on December 28, 2024 at 11:00 am. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service. A short graveside service will be held at Chapel of the Cross at 3:00 pm. In lieu of flowers donations can be made to French Camp Academy, Samaritan's Purse, or First Presbyterian Church of Jackson.