Barbara Fredrickson

Barbara Lazenby Fredrickson was born March 27, 1923 in Aurora, Utah
to Moroni and Rosa May Stewart Lazenby. She was the youngest of
ten children (five brothers and four sisters).
Barbara graduated from high school and went on to college in Ephraim,
Utah, where she received her Associates Degree. It was during this
time that she met and became engaged to Leo Ersell Fredrickson. She
and Leo were married May 16, 1945, in Manti Utah Temple of the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, while he was on furlough
from the Coast Guard.
As she was finishing her second year at Snow college, she took a job at
the Manti Court House in the Welfare Department. She worked there
until Leo was released from the Coast Guard.
Upon release from the Coast Guard, Barbara and Leo moved to Logan,
Utah where Leo attended Utah State University (then called Utah
State Agricultural College). Barbara was privileged to be able to be a
full-time homemaker for the rest of her life. Barbara Lee (Bobbi St.
John) was born in Logan.
Life’s journey took Barbara and Leo to Centerfield and then to Brigham
City, Utah where Barbara was blessed with four additional sons, Larry
Ersell (Hope), David Arthur (Karen), Richard (Teresa), and Scott Leo
(Lauri).
Barbara was very involved in the church and its activities. She held
positions of responsibility, but also enjoyed participating in local plays
and road shows. She loved to act and was good at it.
In 1960 Leo took a position at Chemawa Indian School in Salem,
Oregon. It was necessary for him to go to Oregon ahead of the family
to start his job and find a home for them to live in, and Barbara was

left to sell the house. She describes this as one of the darkest
periods in her life. She talked about how she just knew she was never
going to see Leo again: the house was never going to sell, they wouldn’t
be able to find a house in Oregon, something was going to happen to
her husband, they were going to be apart forever!
The house did sell, Leo did find them a home, and nothing happened to
her husband. They lived in Salem, Oregon for 14 years, where once
again she was very involved in church and civic activities.
In 1974 they were transferred to Pendleton, Oregon. Where they
stayed in Pendleton 25 years.
While in Pendleton, they again held many leadership positions in their
church. Barbara made some very good friends there and her activities
were varied. She loved to quilt, crochet, and embroider. She also
enjoyed baking. She was always looking for opportunities to serve and
was willing to help in any way she could.
When Leo retired, they served in the Seattle LDS Temple for two
years. They also served three full-time missions and one service
mission for the LDS church. They served a full-time education mission
in Tarawa, a proselyting mission in Mississippi and a temple mission in
Denver, Colorado. They were able to stay home as they fulfilled their
service mission where they would travel to another congregation each
week and serve with them, rather than their local congregation.
In 1999 they moved into the house across the street from Bobbi in
Boise, Idaho. They served in the Boise LDS Temple every week and
served in church callings. Barbara served in the church library on
Sundays, and she knew everyone, and everyone knew her. She did this
every Sunday until Leo passed away and her memory started to fade.

The last year of her life was spent living with her family in LaCenter
Washington where she peacefully passed away.
Barbara had a deep love for God, her husband, and her family. Every
now and then when she would see Leo unexpectedly, she would sigh and
say, “He still makes my heart flutter.”
She was raised in a faith-filled home and was a strong woman of faith
herself. She had a powerful belief in the power of prayer and believed
in miracles. And she could laugh. Oh, how she loved to laugh. She had
such a delightful sense of humor.
At 99 she was pre-deceased by all her siblings, her husband, her son,
Richard, daughter-in-law, Karen, and grandson, Alex.
Barbara will be laid to rest in the Boise VA cemetery alongside her
husband on August 12 th . A celebration of life event for the family will
be held on August 27 th in Salem Oregon.