Barbara Flecksing
March 12, 1933 ~ July 4, 2013
Barbara Oleta Ellen Flecksing, of Toddville Iowa, passed away at the Oldorf Hospice House of Mercy on July 4, 2013, following a long battle with breast cancer. During her illness she continued to live a full life and pursue her many activities and hobbies. She was born March 12,1933, in Bakersfield, California to Vicente Cancio and James Vernon Brashier. She was proud of her Native American, Mexican Indian, and French heritage. She is survived by her husband of 62 years Robert Flecksing; sister, Joan Natalie Mackey; brother, James Brashier; aunt, Isabelle Andrada, three nephews and one niece. Her children are Dale (Mary), Anne Teresa (Joe), Katherine, Stephen, Laura (Mark), Kurt, William (Dara), Maria, and Joan (Bob); and she has 16 grandchildren. She is preceded in death by three sons, James, Brian and David. Barbara met her husband Robert Flecksing in California and moved to Iowa in 1951. As a life-long homesteader, she raised goats and sheep, was an avid gardener, and enthusiastic mother and mentor. She lived the virtues of self-reliance and compassionate giving. She devoted much of her professional and personal time to caring and giving to the needs of others. Barbara was a certified nurse's aide, volunteered at the Catholic Worker House and the Clare House for years, member of the Los Amigos Club, La Leche League, and a political activist for social justice and environmental causes. Funeral Mass: 10 a.m. on Monday, July 8, 2013, at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, Cedar Rapids, by Rev. Christopher Podhajsky. Visitation: 2-5 p.m. on Sunday at Stewart Baxter Funeral & Memorial Services, Cedar Rapids. Private family burial will be at Dunkard Cemetery, Toddville. Memorials are suggested to the Mercy Foundation for the Oldorf Hospice House of Mercy and the Hall-Perrine Cancer Center.
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I am very sad to see that you have lost your loved one. You will be in my prayers and am thinking of you.
I am very sorry to the family for their great loss. Mrs. Flecksing was an amazing woman! I will miss her tremendously. She will never know how much I truly appreciated her friendship and advice.
Our deepest sympathy to Barbara’s family at this very sad time. We ran into Barbara at the grocery store, the library and always had a friendly time catching up. We will always remember her with the greatest affection and many childhood memories. Our prayers and thoughts are with you. Tim & Corinne Kephart
I am so sorry to hear of the loss of your Mother. You are in my prayers. May your memories of your Mom help ease your pain.
So sorry for your loss. I loved talking to Barb whenever I ran into her. My Mom, Betty McCann always spoke so highly of her. she will be greatly missed.
Joan and I were good friends in high school. I was sorry to hear of the loss of your mother. Your family is in my thoughts and prayers.
So sorry to hear about Barb’s passing. She raised a wonderful and gifted family and left us with an amazing legacy.
I feel very fortunate to have known Barbara through my friendship with her daughter Anne who is one of my closest and dearest friends. I loved how she always challenged conventional ways of perceiving and thinking with her stories and social commentaries. I would run into her at the most interesting places – museums, art openings. She could make anything grow. She taught me what a California poppy is. She taught me more, lessons I have carried my whole life by her own example of self reliance – for example that I could figure things out or learn how to fix or make things by doing resarch at the public library.I have many fond memories of long long conversations in which we covered an amazing breadth of topics. I will remember and be inspired by her endless curiousity and zest for life. My love and sympathies for the amazing Flecksing clan she left behind.