Barbara Kronqest Obituary

Barbara Clara (Hazeltine) Kronqest

June 28, 1928 – January 18, 2025

Barbara Clara (Hazeltine) Kronqest was born June 28, 1928 in Great Falls, Montana.

She passed away peacefully on January 18, 2025 in Grass Valley, California.

Growing up in Montana and North Dakota, she left home

at 14 years old and got a job as a nanny while finishing high school at the age of 16. After graduating she attended Minot Business Institute. She then moved to Portland, Oregon to work and met her first husband who was a wealthy oil tycoon and they moved to Texas.

In Texas she learned to fly before getting a license. She loved to say she flew to her lessons. Barbara was an excellent seamstress and always stylish, but careful with her money often making her own clothes. Barbara loved dancing and especially big band music.

She moved to Sacramento to work as a computer analyst at McClellan AFB in the civil service. This was a time when a computer occupied a full city block. She was the first woman to wear a pantsuit to work at McClellan. She had it tailored to look feminine, but professional and her boss approved. She carpooled in a van with 6 co-workers taking turns driving each week. After meeting her second husband they moved

to Lake of the Pines, building one of the first homes there because they loved water skiing and golf. She loved socializing, prioritizing Happy Hour, working at the snack shack on the golf course and participating in events- even the fashion show. She made good friends at LOP, notably Dorie Jacobson. She and her husband travelled throughout the United states in their RV. On her own she travelled in tour groups to Alaska, Paris, Australia, Panama, New Zealand and at 75 she was excited to do a zip line while in Mexico.

Barbara had 2 daughters, Sandy and Jana, 2 sons Danny and Mark and 3 grandchildren. Luke, Kate and Taylor. She will be remembered as an interesting, intelligent, independent, active and resourceful woman.