Barbara Taylor Anderson

Barbara Taylor Anderson Passed away peacefully on October 8, 2026, after a rich and full life of nearly nine decades — a life marked by adventure, grace, and a deep love of family.

Barbara was born on June 17, 1937, in Rhinelander, the second of four children. Her father held a Coca-Cola Bottling Company franchise and traveled throughout northern Wisconsin, calling on the many resorts and businesses of the Northwoods. The Taylor family was active in the community and widely respected for its business and civic contributions. 

Barbara’s lifelong love of skiing began early. She fondly remembered her father carrying her on his back down the slopes until she was old enough to ski on her own. Her family was among the pioneers of recreational skiing in northern Wisconsin, and she treasured those days on the snow with family and friends for the rest of her life. 

As a girl, Barbara was active in Girl Scouts and Job’s Daughters and loved summer camp, especially horseback riding camp. At age 15, she had surgery for adolescent scoliosis and spent a year recovering, first in a body cast and then in a walking cast. Though the condition brought pain and complications for the rest of her life, it never slowed her spirit. She stayed active and engaged through every season of her life. 

At Rhinelander High School, she played flute and piccolo in the band and orchestra, graduating in 1955. Barbara attended Stout State College and the University of Wisconsin-Madison, earning a degree in home economics in 1961. 

She began her teaching career at a junior high school in Austin, Minn., where she met Dale Anderson, a young surgeon training at the Mayo Clinic. They married in 1962, and Barbara went on to teach in the Rochester schools, where their first son was born. 

In 1965, Barbara and Dale joined the U.S. Public Health Service and were sent to Ethiopia to care for the Peace Corps community there. It was a year of real adventure, full of travel and discovery, and their second son was born in Ethiopia in 1966. 

After returning home, they finished their service in Gallup, N.M. Several moves followed as Dale pursued his career, and their third son was born in Princeton, N.J. In 1970 the young family settled in Roseville, Minn., where all three boys grew up, graduated from Roseville schools, and went on to build lives of their own. 

Barbara and Dale divorced in 1996, and Barbara embraced the next chapter with independence and curiosity. She made her home in a condominium on Summit Avenue in St. Paul, where she was a valued part of her neighborhood and of the Unitarian Universalist church community. 

Theater and the arts were among Barbara’s greatest joys. She worked at the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts and later volunteered as a concierge at the Guthrie Theater, where she loved welcoming others to the performances she cherished. 

She was a devoted member of P.E.O. (Philanthropic Educational Organization), which supports women through educational grants, loans, and scholarships, and she gave her time to the Friends of the St. Paul Public Library. 

For the last six years of her life, Barbara lived at The Lodge at the Lakes of Stillwater, an assisted living community. There she enjoyed daily meals with friends, took part in classes, and formed warm connections with her caregivers and fellow residents. 

Above all, Barbara treasured being a grandmother and great-grandmother. She will be remembered for her adventurous spirit, her warmth and generosity, her love of family and the arts, her grateful heart, and her gift for finding joy in each new chapter of life. 

Barbara was preceded in death by her former husband, Dale Anderson, and her sisters, Diana Isenring and Mary Hurst. She is survived by her three sons, Lance (Tracy) Anderson of Stillwater, Shane (Elizabeth) Anderson of Seattle, and Chad (Alli) Anderson of Wayzata; seven grandchildren, Britta (Sam) Flynn, Ethan (Morgan) Anderson, Beckett, Elise and Colton Anderson, and Wynn and Etta Anderson; five greatgrandchildren, Owen, Noah and Brooks Flynn, and Rosie and Cora Anderson; her brother, Craig Taylor, and his wife, Marcia; her brother-in-law, Don Hurst; and many extended family members and friends who will miss her dearly. A private family celebration of life will be held at a later date. Arrangements with Bradshaw Funeral and Cremation Services, 651-439-5511.