Barbara Salter

Barbara C. Salter, age 82, of Spicer, passed away Friday afternoon, Dec. 6, at Carris Health Rice Memorial Hospital in Willmar.

A Celebration of Life service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 21, at the First Presbyterian Church in Willmar.  Visitation will be one hour prior to the service.  A private interment will be held at a later date.  In lieu of flowers, memorials to Rice Hospice or the First Presbyterian Church are preferred.  Arrangements are with Peterson Brothers Funeral Home.  www.petersonbrothers.com

Barbara Christine Salter was born on August 24, 1937, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the daughter of Hugh and Effie (Nelson) LaSalle.  She grew up in Minneapolis and Wausau, Wisconsin, and graduated from St. Louis Park High School in 1955.  Barb attended the University of Minnesota and graduated in 1961 with a BS degree  in Nursing.  On March 31, 1962, Barb was united in marriage to Wilson Munro Salter at the Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in St. Louis Park.  They lived briefly in Duluth before moving to Ft. Belknap, Montana to work in the U.S. Public Health Service Hospital.  In 1964, they moved to Minneapolis and Barb worked at the Minneapolis VA Hospital for one year.  She then became the head nurse at the newborn nursery at Fairview Southdale Hospital in 1965.  Their family expanded with the addition of their first daughter, Amy on Nov. 15, 1966 before moving to Willmar to join the Willmar Medical Center in 1967.  In 1969, their family was blessed with the addition of their second daughter, Mary.  For the next two decades, Barb was a full time mom, volunteer extraordinaire teaching Sunday School, being a Girl Scout leader, instrumental in helping develop the Willmar Stingray Swim Club, and eventually serving as a church deacon.  It was during this time Barb also developed her lifelong love of golf, lawn and garden maintenance (playing in the dirt), walking/jogging, and honed her skills as an exquisite knitter and baker as well as managing her husband.  Barb and Wilson enjoyed traveling to Florida, eventually selecting Naples, FL., for their southern homestead for over 20 years.  Barb and Wilson were happily married for over 56 years.

She is survived by her husband, Wilson; daughter, Amy (and Chris) Wilson of West St. Paul; granddaughters, Ellen Wilson of Duluth and Kate Wilson of Chicago, IL.; Sister, Judy (and Jim) Cumming of Gainesville, VA.; nieces, Kate Cumming of Seattle, WA., and Georgia (and Jeff) Van Geest of Becker; and nephew, James Hand of Orr, besides other relatives and friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents; daughter, Mary Salter in 2014; and sisters, Yvonne Hand and Doreen Murphy.