Barbara Huxtable
Barbara Jean (Allan) Huxtable, of Wood River, passed peacefully on Tuesday, July 12, 2022, just two days before her 71st birthday, surrounded by her loving family at home.
Services were held Monday, July 18, 2022, at the First Presbyterian Church in Wood River, with Pastor Brad Jepsen officiating. Burial was in the Wood River Cemetery. Memorials are suggested to the family for later designation. Online condolences may be directed to apfelfuneralhome.com.
Barb was born on July 14, 1951, to George and Dolores (Greenwood) Allan, Jr. in Grand Island, the fourth of six kids. She grew up on a farm west of Wood River, attending District 5 country school and was a member of the first class to graduate from the new Wood River Rural High School, the Class of 1969. When she was a young child, her dad gave her the nickname of “Pep” and “Pepper.” Throughout the years, she became known to many as “Pepe,” which grew into her favorite title of “Grandma Pepe.”
On November 8, 1969, Barb was united in marriage to Dennis L. Huxtable in Shelton. Together they built a life that they loved on the family farm in rural Wood River. In their 51 years of marriage, they had two children, Craig and Brenda. The most important thing to Barb was her family and friends. She was proud of her family tree, and loved to share it. Barb always had great pride in being a farm wife and was proud that she and Dennis were presented with the Nebraska Pioneer Farm Award in 1980. Her life was built on the foundation of faith, family and farm. When the kids were young, she drove the school bus for the Wood River School District. She cherished the times that all of the kids on the bus would sing her favorite songs, Country Roads, The Gambler and Coward of the County. Memories from these bus rides have been mentioned numerous times throughout the years. She eventually turned her keys in and went into community banking, where she spent 35 years serving friends, new and old, in Wood River and Grand Island, and retired a few years ago. Barb was always starting a conversation with someone, and she didn’t know a stranger. Barb was a member of the Wood River First Presbyterian Church. Passionate about education, she proudly served on the Wood River District 83 School Board. Barb took the title of Grandma Pepe pretty seriously, teaching her grandkids the true meaning of unconditional love, creating cherished memories and life lessons that they will carry with them throughout their lives.
Barb took great pride in her yard and garden, giving numerous yard tours to those that stopped by to visit. She was known to always have a camera in her hands to capture the special memories that were being created, and she loved to capture nature’s beauty, along with the stars and the moon in the night sky. Barb loved to share the farm for family gatherings that included many fun activities, amazing food, and endless love and laughter. She always had every detail taken care of, and then some. All that knew her loved her.
Barb is survived and greatly missed by many family and friends, including her loving husband Dennis; her children and their spouses, Craig (Angela) Huxtable and Brenda (Kurtis) Knapp; her six grandchildren whom she cherished so greatly, Cierra (Austin) Ruskamp, Cydnee and Cade Huxtable and Wyatt, Kelsey and Jacey Knapp; her mother, Dolores “Dody” Allan; her sisters, Lynda (Bill) Thurston, Betty Raymond, Karen (Douglas) Codner, and Diane Hahn; her sisters-in law, Cheryl Hodges and Suzy (Kelvin) Kleeb; along with numerous cousins, nieces and nephews.
Barb is preceded in death by her father, George Allan, Jr.; her brother, George “Joe” Allan, III; her mother-in-law, Pauline (Wiese) Huxtable Mazankowski; father-in-law, Charles Huxtable; and brother-in-law, Ronald E. Hodges.