Barbara Patricia Strahan

Obituary of Barbara Patricia Strahan
Barbara Patricia (Miller) Strahan, daughter of Ezra Clayton Miller and Irene Lillian Utzinger was born on August 12, 1939 at Maternity Hospital in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She was the middle of three daughters.
She died at home on January 10, 2025 in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota. Her parents, Grandson Ezra and brothers-in-law, Bill, Gene, Thomas and William preceded her in death. She graduated from North Central College in Naperville, Illinois in 1961 and taught in the New London-Spicer School District for a year. She married John Richards Strahan, son of Thomas William Strahan and Elizabeth Lucile Sawall, on August 11, 1962 at Immanuel Evangelical United Brethren Church in Corcoran, Minnesota. They had three children: Elke (Kevin), Paul (Lisa) and Peggy (Brad) and nine grandchildren: Kylie, Blake, Kaitlin, Alena, Nolan, Lindsay, Ezra, Saylor and Sienna. During the pre-school days of their children, Barbara raised the kids especially when John was engaged in traveling for his employer. She did elder and child care in both Cedar Rapids, Iowa and Charlotte, North Carolina. When they moved to Brooklyn Park, Minnesota in 1979, she worked for the American Lung Association of Minnesota in their offices in St Paul, Minnesota. She always maintained an active membership in the Brooklyn United Methodist Church. She had to retire in 2006 so they could make a 6- week trip to Scotland, Ireland and Germany.
Barbara and John loved to travel whether by car, train, plane, bus or ship. Amongst the highlights for Barbara were a Zip Line in Jamaica, and a Hot Air Balloon Ride in Australia. Barbara derived a great deal of pleasure from quilting, volunteering, making candy for special events and baking cookies for anyone who seemed to need them. A Celebration of Life will be held at Brooklyn United Methodist Church, 7200 Brooklyn Blvd, Brooklyn Center MN with visitation from 3:00-4:00 PM and a service at 4:00 PM on Saturday, January 18, 2025. Burial will be at the Immanuel UMC Cemetery in Maple Grove, Minnesota on a later date. Memorials to Brooklyn United Methodist Church in the name of Barbara or as you so choose.