Born in St. Louis, Missouri Barb is the youngest of 4 children having 2 older sisters and an older
brother. Except for her 2 sisters, the majority of her extended family was male – 11 male
cousins! Perhaps that is one reason why she developed a close relationship with her maternal
grandmother – and an appreciation of beautiful jewelry! Barb’s early life was spent with her
friends and family horseback riding, rooting for the St. Louis Cardinal’s baseball team,
appreciating music learned from her father who played piano on Cunard cruises to Europe, and
loving her dogs. All of these childhood influences have molded Barb into the lovely Matriarch
we know her to be at UUFBR.
Barb has a few “constants” in her life. One, which she never fails to mention, is that growing up,
her family always had dogs – 2 collies and a variety of other breeds. When she was a college
student studying Anthropology at the University of Kansas, Barb adopted Kelly from the
Lawrence, Kansas Humane Society. Kelly was part collie and part German Shepard, not a small
lap dog at all. One day, when Kelly was a puppy, she ran into someone’s apartment and Barb
had to go look for her. Guess who lived in that apartment? – Bill Jensen! He was a graduate
student at the time.
When a German Shephard “finds you”, you are bound to pay attention quickly. And Bill did.
Soon enough Bill was teaching Barb to play bridge. A friendship began, then a Romance and
marriage followed… as did the dogs, rooting for the Cardinals and playing bridge.
Barb and Bill stayed in St. Louis and had 2 children – a boy ( Tim) and a girl (Becka). Her family
has always come first and it still does. That is a guiding principle in how she lives her life. Barb’s
role as mother, wife, and nurturer was very important to her and her family and it is also
important to our UUFBR congregation. Like a tree that stands steady and strong, she focused
on raising independent children with good values who could support themselves and lead
fulfilling lives. She extended herself in that same way in nurturing exchange students for many
years while her children were growing up. Barb still has a special friendship with the family
from Turkey whose daughter she hosted for an entire school year.
Barb wanted a spiritual home for her family when her children were young. She is of Jewish
heritage and Bill was from a Christian home. She started going to the Eliot Unitarian
Universalist Chapel in St. Louis because of their Woman’s Alliance. She laughs about it because
she never made it to one of the Alliance meetings but she did learn about the UU principles.
Barb refers to herself as an ethical humanist and believes in being a good person, giving to
others and living with compassion. Those are the values she lives not only in her family life but
with everything she does here at UUFBR. Her heart is always big.
The UU was a good fit for Barb’s family and once they joined the local congregation, they
became lifelong UUs. They lived in St. Louis, Missouri for 30 years and then moved to
Emporia, Kansas to be near Bill’s family. There, Barb and Bill were the founding members of a
small UU congregation. When Barb and Bill decided to move to Boca Raton, Barb was
adamant about living near a UU congregation. Lucky for UUFBR, Barb found us.
Barb is a very generous person with her time, energy and resources. She was on the Board for
her daughter’s ballet school and was a primary fund raiser for the school. She was the
treasurer of the Lyon County, Kansas Democratic party and a very active member. If
someone is in need and Barb can help, she will and continues to do that.
At UUFBR Barb has been a leader in every way. She spearheaded and was the key organizer
of the flea markets we held every year, an exhausting task that she managed well. She was a
Co-President and a Board of Trustee member many times, kept our kitchen stocked with after
service nibbles, participated in the silent auction, hosted many dinners at her home,
welcomed new interim ministers, and donated time and money for major capital
improvements. Barb has always contributed time and resources where needed.
It is often hard to describe someone like Barb. She is a “dynomo” with a giant heart and yet,
she is so humble in doing all of it. A strong, gentle and steady woman who quietly makes the
world a better place for everyone. She doesn’t shout, or clamor for a place in the spotlight.
Instead, she is always there, calm and strong, quietly providing the strength for her family and
her community, knowing when to bend and when to hold steady. She gives her time, her
energy and her loving support to those of us who are a part of her life.
Today, Barb and Bill are the proud parents of 2 children, 3 grandchildren, and a dog named
Ziggy. They hold a reputation as a notable bridge partnership not to be underestimated!
We are so fortunate to have her as part of our UUFBR matriarch, a wise woman among
us.Sometimes, our greatest gifts walk quietly into our lives and it is up to us to acknowledge
and appreciate them and to be grateful. We are grateful for Barb.
written by Donna K. Musial