Barbara Jean Goff

Barbara Jean Jeffery was born January 13, 1929, in Flint, Michigan, to Georgia and Preston Jeffery. By her own words, no one ever had a happier childhood with a more loving family. In high school, she attended Adelphian Academy in Holly, Michigan, then Emmanuel Missionary College (now Andrews University) in Berrien Springs, Michigan. Barbara married Don Goff in 1948, and they joined most of her immediate family in moving to Fort Collins in 1951 (where she met her dear friend, Cathie Smith, the first night in town) when Jeff was six months old, a move that her children always thanked her for as the entire family thought of Colorado as the next thing to Paradise. Her daughter, granddaughter, and great granddaughter were all born in Poudre Valley Hospital.

Barbara loved being outdoors and was grateful to live in beautiful Colorado. Until the last few years, she enjoyed running the Colorado River (before Glenn Canyon Dam), hiking, camping, backpacking, downhill and cross country skiing, water skiing, glider soaring, still had a great time on her 14th tandem skydive at 79, and just walking every day for over 50 years--especially when she did these things with family and friends. She encouraged her son and daughter to appreciate the out-of-doors environment we can enjoy here.. .and they did. Her family was cherished above all else, and she considered good friends a great blessing in her life. She learned that people, not things, are important. She was constantly amazed by the kindness and goodness of family, friends, neighbors. Good music and reading were also very important to her. Besides the Bible, the small book "Steps to Christ" was her favorite reading and she shared it's wisdom with many of her CSU Collegiate 4-H "walking buddies" through the years.

While still working, Barbara greatly enjoyed traveling with her family whether it was a Boundary Waters canoe trip with Jeff or to Hawaii or Disney with Janna and Aecian. An unexpected bonus after her retirement was the opportunity to travel to many states, including Alaska and Hawaii, and to England to visit good friends, then to Mexico, Costa Rica, much of Canada, and the Amazon area, many of these trips with traveling friend Mary Lou Peckham.

Barbara was a member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Through over sixty years in the Fort Collins church she enjoyed service as youth leader, three children's divisions' leader, Vacation Bible School director, Beebe Christian School Board secretary/treasurer, Home and School leader, accompanied junior choir, was church bulletin and monthly newsletter editors, PR Secretary, as well as church organist and pianist for over 30 years. Some very fond memories were of building our church and school, from hanging off the roof to paint the new gutters with Marj Kiefer to standing on scaffolding all day with a crink in her neck while she taped and textured the school room ceiling. Working with friends wasn't really work for her.

For almost 29 years she was on the State 4-H and Youth Programs staff at Colorado State University and considered that, too, to be a real "plus" in her life, maintaining contact with not only many staff member friends--Rita, Joan, Joan (pronounced Joanne), Courtney, Joy, the Brooks and Boyack families—but former CSU students throughout the world... Kathleen, Gladie, Susan, Peggy
Barbara is survived by her granddaughter and grandson, Aecian and Ryan Pendleton; great granddaughter Azelyn (Lyndy) Rae Pendleton, all of Fort Collins; sister-in-law Virginia Pfeifle and nieces Cheryl Umlauf (Rick) and Carol Guajardo (Vic) and their families of Michigan:

Barbara was preceded in death by beloved family members: son, Jeff Goff, daughter, Janna Rae Dunning, brother, Bob, and parents.

Her desire was for her family and friends to celebrate her life, not mourn her death. The best is yet to come! She'll meet you at the slide.., bring your favorite picnic dish...