Barbara Few

Few, Barbara Dec 14, 1933 - Nov 14, 2025 The beautiful earthly life of Barbara Ann (Tiedje) Few, so full of joyful service to Christ, family, friends and to her community, ended peacefully on Friday, November 14, 2025. Barbara was born in Tucson, Arizona, on December 14, 1933, to William and Lucile Tiedje (née Ewer). Her spirit of adventure was first ignited when her family moved to Creswell, Oregon, while Barbara was in elementary school. It took little time for her to fall in love with the setting of Oregon's natural beauty; as a result, aside from attending and graduating from Oregon State University and the OHSU School of Nursing, she happily resided in her beloved Creswell until she passed at the age of 91. While working at Cottage Grove Hospital, she met a striking young minister, the Reverend Norman Few of Creswell Presbyterian Church. Sparks inevitably flew, and the two were married on May 1, 1959. Thus began her life as a minister's wife and a tirelessly devoted mother of four. Barbara effortlessly balanced raising her four children with her nursing career and vast community service including: Creswell Home Extension; Lane County Food Bank; founding of the Creswell Presbyterian Children's Choir; singing in church and community choirs; coordinating countless years of Vacation Bible Schools; and serving on a medical mission trip in Guatemala; all done with joy and faith filling her heart. Barbara's love for life was inexorable. She never shied away from trying something new, even when others wouldn't. She jumped into things head-on to satiate her love of adventure and learning. As a life-long learner, she always kept up on the latest medical advances and news and had an insatiable quest to learn about the life of Jesus. The drive to continually apply His teachings to how she lived her life was evident to everyone she came in contact with. Her warm hospitality, as well as her willingness to apply her vast medical knowledge and supportive bedside manner to care for her community was unmatched. Dear friends, community, and church members called on her often to get her nursing advice, and she would drop everything to help those who needed her. She and Norm's door was always open and there was a seat at the table for everyone. She loved to bake, and everything in her kitchen was made with love; and always accompanied by a cheerfully whistled tune. Music permeated her life - and it was apparent. She had a beautiful singing voice and was a life-long member of the Creswell Presbyterian choir. She was the fiercest supporter of Gonzaga University's men's basketball team (she was named Gonzaga's Grandma) and she and Norm traveled far and wide to support them whenever possible. Never missing a game and never missing a good-luck phone call to her son (the coach) before they played. She was preceded in death by her father William David Tiedje; her mother Lucile Margaret Tiedje (née Ewer); and her sisters Betty (Don) Gilman and Jeanne (Jerry) Easterling. She is survived by her husband of 66 years, Rev. Norm; her four children, David, Mark (Marcy), Karen (Jeff), and Kathy; and her 11 grandchildren Jeremy, Jacob, Taylor (Shaun), Jackson, AJ, Joseph, Isabella, Julia, Colt, Shanitah, and Tulee. There will be a memorial service held in her memory at Creswell Presbyterian Church on Friday, December 19, at 3 p.m. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Creswell Presbyterian Church, PO Box 157, Creswell, Oregon 97426. Arrangements are in the care of Smith-Lund-Mills Funeral Chapel.