BARBARA L. DEKKER

BARBARA L. DEKKER

Barbara Lynn (née Anderson) Dekker, 76, passed away peacefully at her home on September 18, 2025. Barbara was born on July 24, 1949, in Sharon, ND to Mabel (Gilbertson) and Earl Anderson and grew up in Finley. Until she was eight, their family of five lived in a two-room house without plumbing, but she never felt they were “without” and loved playing on the farm with her siblings and their animals (the heavy snow that the winters brought were not remembered in as positive a light). She went to Finley High School and graduated in 1967. She attended Mayville State University and got her degree in teaching. It was during this time that she and Joseph Dekker married at St Olaf’s Catholic church on March 8, 1969. After two years of teaching in Lakota, ND, they moved back to Finley and started farming when Earl decided to retire. She worked with Joe in the fields and one of their favorite pastimes was taking drives and listening to Golden Oldies or local sports radio while checking out how the crops were coming along. They worked as farmers until Joe’s retirement in 2017 while continuing to raise animals and their four daughters (although at times they may have claimed their animals and daughters were easily confused). She fondly remembered these career transitions but always said that being a grandma was her favorite job.

Barbara was a bookworm and loved watching TV series, both usually revolving around detectives solving mysteries. She spent a lot of time with other puzzles as well- crosswords and sudoku. Summers and falls were especially beautiful times on the farm. Barb loved living there and took pride in her flower gardens and bird feeders (not so much in her battles with the squirrels) every year. Her enduring work on the farm, in raising her girls, and her long fight with cancer prompted the nickname Norwegian Steel from her daughters which amused her quite a bit. She continued to host her ever-growing family at holidays and insisted on cooking and decorating the house each Christmas. She cherished her lifelong friendships and was often found going out for lunch with her girlfriends. She was surrounded by her friends and family during the final weeks of her life and kept her sense of humor until the end. She is survived by her daughters, Kari Dekker, Nikki Dekker, Mendi Blake and Jeana Cost; grandchildren Joe Dekker, Hadley and Harlow Blake and Elsie and Owen Cost. She was preceded in death by her husband, Joe; her parents, Mabel and Earl; brother, Richard Anderson; sisters, Mary Anderson and Susan Fiebiger; and grandchild Harper Blake.

Our family would like to extend a deep appreciation to Hospice of the Red River Valley who provided great care for her in her final weeks, as well as everyone who has shown kindness and support to her and our family during this time. Per Barb’s wishes, instead of a traditional funeral service, please join us at her Celebration of Life, to be held at the Finley Legion Hall, Peterson-Olson Post 13, 600 Lincoln Ave, Finley, ND from 12-3 on October 11, 2025. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in her name to the International Rett Syndrome foundation (https://www.rettsyndrome.org/) or to the Neuroendocrine Tumor Research Foundation (https://netrf.org/).

If you cannot make it to her celebration of life, spend some time in nature or read a good book and give her a thought.