Barbara Elaine Pearson, 74, of Taylor Ridge, IL, passed away unexpectedly, Friday December 4, 2015 at Unity Point-Trinity, Rock Island.
Services will be 10:00 a.m. Thursday at Zion Lutheran Church, Taylor Ridge. Burial will be at Edgington Cemetery, Edgington, IL. Visitation will be 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Wednesday at Wheelan-Pressly Funeral Home and Crematory, 801 W. Edgington St., Reynolds, IL. Memorials may be made to the Community Food Pantry at Edgington Evangelical Presbyterian Church or to Edgington Cemetery.
Barbara Seitz was born to Elmer and Louise Schroeder Seitz on April 3, 1941 on her mother's birthday. She attended Edgington Center Grade School, which was the same one room school house her father had attended. She graduated from that school before the schools were consolidated. She attended High School for two years at Reynolds, IL, and graduated from Rockridge High School in the second class to graduate from the new school. In Barbara's words, " Our class was small, but we've remained friends and continue to enjoy our reunions. These are some of my oldest and dearest friends."
Having the desire to be a nurse since age 5, she enrolled in the three year diploma nursing program at Moline Lutheran Hospital. After graduation, she worked on the second floor and later in RCC, the respiratory unit.
Barbara also lived in Woodhull, IL, Dubuque, Davenport, and Blue Grass, IA. While in Iowa, she volunteered as a school nurse for Trinity Lutheran School, while she attended Trinity Church. Because of her husband's job, she moved to Hacienda Heights, CA in 1985, working for nursing registries there. This included employment in 30 different hospitals. Nine years later, she moved to Prescott, AZ and worked at Yavapai Regional Medical Center. Upon moving back to IL in 2000, she worked as a mental health nurse at the Robert Young Center at Trinity Medical Center, West Campus, Rock Island.
Barb and Garry Massey were married on November 24, 1962. Her daughter, Laurie Kay was born to this union. After 38 years, they were divorced in 2001. She married Bill Pearson on April 21, 2006.
A highlight of her life were her two trips to Africa and her trip to Germany. While visiting Africa, she lived with a Kenyan family in Nairobi. Hospitals, schools, and orphanages were visited and supplies donated. A safari to Masai Mara was especially enjoyable as animals have always been dear to her interest.
Barb also enjoyed crafts of all kinds, expecially creating something out of castoffs. She enjoyed collecting things including Pepsi memorabilia and a collection of hippos.
She was baptized in Zion Lutheran Church, Taylor Ridge, and knew Jesus as her Saviour. She attended Lutheran churches where she lived and sang in the choir. She currently was a member of Zion Lutheran Church.
She loved people and felt the hardest people to love were the ones that needed it most.
She leaves behind her dear husband, Bill Pearson, of Taylor Ridge; daughter, Laurie Massey and granddaughter, Rhianne Jones, both of Mission Viejo, CA; Bill's children, Keith and Kay Pearson, Athens Greece, Cindy and Lynn Pauley, Taylor Ridge, Tony Pearson, Reynolds, Steve and Becky Pearson, Aledo, and Becky Pearson, Moline; special grandmother and great-grandmother to Bill's thirteen grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren; sister and brother-in-law, Loretta and Tom Nielsen, Rock Island; brother and sister-in-law, Ernest and Connie Seitz, Davenport, and Elmira Lynch, of California; numerous nieces and nephews; the Massey/Stewart families; and many friends and co-workers that have touched her life .

Barbara was preceded in death by her father, mother, and grandson, Michael Pearson.

Online condolences may be left for the family at wheelanpressly.com