Barbara Jean (Andersen) Carver

Barbara Jean Andersen Carver was born on January 15, 1951, in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Barb was the second of eleven children to be born to Eugene and Elsie Andersen. There were ten girls and one boy. The following year, the family moved to a farm in Sheldon, Missouri. On the farm, Barb learned the value of hard work, the meaning of family, empathy for others, honesty and integrity. It was also on the farm that she developed a love of the outdoors, as one of her jobs was to ride the horse every day to check on the cattle. Barb learned to cook at an early age, which she combined with her love of science, into a career as a dietitian.

Barb graduated from Eldorado Springs High School as Salutatorian of her class. She attended the University of Missouri-Columbia, starting in 1969. She paid for her entire college by working several jobs and earning numerous scholarships along the way. Her most prestigious honor was receiving a Mead Johnson Nutrition Scholarship in 1972, one of only four awarded that year in the United States. When she graduated from MIZZOU in 1973, she was hired as the Dietitian on the Medicine Floor at the University of Missouri Medical Center.

She met M. Robert Carver, Jr. in 1970, when he attended graduate school at MIZZOU. Their friendship quickly developed into a deep love for one another and they married in 1972. They moved to Edwardsville, Illinois, in 1974, when Bob accepted a faculty position at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.

They joined Our Lords Lutheran Church where Barb served on the Church Council, Music and Worship Committee, and she taught Confirmation for many years. Shortly after moving to Edwardsville, Barb started her own business as a consulting dietitian at area nursing homes. Her business quickly grew so large, that she hired other dietitians to help her with the work. She never had to advertise, as “word of mouth” led to many of her accounts.

In 1980, Barb and Bob began to share their love for one another by presenting on over fifty Lutheran Marriage Encounter Weekends. They also served as International Finance Couple and held many other positions within LME. They retired from Marriage Encounter in 2000.

Bob and Barb have been blessed with two children: Justin Thomas Carver (and daughter-in-law, Gaylin) and Elizabeth Ann Horvath (and son-in-law, Mike). They have also been blessed with four wonderful grandchildren:  Andersen and William Carver, and Mikayla and Caleb Horvath.

Since moving to Sandestin, Barb has active in P.E.O., Habitat for Humanity and Impact 100. They joined Good News Methodist Church in 2020.

Memorials can be sent to Habitat for Humanity of Walton County, 2440 US Highway 98, Santa Rosa Beach, FL 32459.

A memorial service to celebrate Barb's incredible life will be Tuesday, November 26, 2024 at 1:00 p.m. at Good News Methodist church, 4747 Highway 98 West, Santa Rosa Beach, Florida.