Barbara Ann Carpenter

Barbara Ann Carpenter, 83, passed away on February 4th, 2020 after a courageous battle with cancer.

She was born on a small farm in Cheyenne County, Kansas to Marion and Paul Scofield on September 1st, 1936, and was the third of five children in the family.

Barbara’s childhood was spent on two farms; the first was in Cheyenne County and the other was in Sherman County, Kansas.  Her schooling took place in one-room country schools.

Her family moved to Goodland, Kansas when Barbara was eleven.  She attended grade school and high school there.  While in school, she played clarinet in the band from junior high onwards.

Barbara graduated from high school in 1954 and went on to nursing school, spending a year at Children’s Hospital in Denver in their nursing program. She married her longtime sweetheart Larry Ray Carpenter on September 4th, 1955 before moving to McCook, Nebraska.

In September 1956 they started a family, they were blessed with five children over the next eleven years who were their pride and joy.

They started Carpenter Funeral Home in McCook in 1962 where Barbara kept the business’s books, worked alongside her husband, and raised their family.

Barbara was extremely active in her community, participating in variety of activities involving music, church, leading young people in 4-H, and Eastern Star.  She even found time to work in the local hospital as a Pink Lady among several other community organizations.

Her favorite hobbies included sewing, knitting, quilting, and playing tennis.  She and Larry enjoyed playing tennis together, as well as hunting, camping, and fishing.

In 1985, Larry and Barbara sold their business and moved to North Platte, Nebraska where they bought Carpenter Memorial Chapel and ran it for three years.  During that time, Barbara also started a knitting business, “Needle Bed Knitting”, before the couple retired from the funeral business in 1989.

The couple moved to Idaho in 1994 and Barbara spent her retirement spoiling grandkids, camping, and playing tennis.  She gave knitting machine lessons and enjoyed knitting for her immediate and extended family.  Idaho also provided her with a great slate of winter sports; she especially enjoyed cross country and downhill skiing. Barbara continued to be an active member of Christ Presbyterian Church.

Barbara is preceded in death by her brother Bobby Scofield and sister Nadyne Stroyek.  Living siblings include Kenneth Scofield of Goodland, Kansas and Patsy McDermott of Plainville, Kansas.  Her children are Sheryl Messinger (Steve) of Boise, Idaho, Cindy Carpenter of Napier, New Zealand, Alan Carpenter (Toria) of Hudson, Colorado, Bradley Carpenter (Liz) of Belleview, Illinois and Scott Carpenter (Susan) of Lawton, Oklahoma.

Her grandchildren are Brian Messinger, Lisa Irish, Sarah Messinger, Aaron Messinger, Lee Norrie (deceased) and Tarah Carpenter, Jeremy, Michael, Deanna Kelley (nee Carpenter), and Dylan Carpenter, Joshua Carpenter, and Samantha Carpenter. She has thirteen great grandchildren, and two great-great grandchildren.

The family would like to Thank Saint Alphonsus Oncology, Harrison’s Hope Hospice, all her caregivers, family and friends who supported her during this time.

Funeral services were held at Hillview Methodist Church, 8525 W Ustick Rd, Boise (Today), February 7, 2020 at 10:30am with a reception to follow. Reverend Phil Moran officiating. Family only graveside services will follow the reception.  A viewing was held on Thursday February 6, 2020, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Alden-Waggoner Funeral Chapel.

Funeral Announcements provided by Carpenter Breland Funeral Home of McCook.