Barbara Ann Rush

Barbara A. Rush, 87, passed away peacefully in her sleep Saturday morning, October 28, 2023, at Rosewood Memory Care in Hillsboro.

BARBARA ANN RUSH was born January 20, 1936, in Portland, Oregon, the daughter of the late Stephen Kemper and Elizabeth (Hillecke) Kemper, she was raised on the family farm in Verboort with her siblings, Matt, Rosella, Elizabeth and George. Barbara attended Visitation Grade School and Saint Mary's of the Valley High School, graduating in 1954. She received a full scholarship to Belmont Hair College in Portland where she earned her beautician certification. Proceeding graduation, she worked at Mar Don Dorel Salon off Main St. in Hillsboro.

She inherited the travel bug from her mother. Barbara would go to Hawaii, visit family in California, ski in Sun Valley Idaho, take the train up to Canada, travel to Mexico and cross the oceans to Europe with her church group. When she was at home she enjoyed time with nephews, nieces, extended family and friends.

She was united in marriage to Jerome Rush on November 28, 1969, in the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Catholic Church in Verboort, celebrating their 53rd Wedding Anniversary this past November. Following their marriage they resided in the communities of Albany, Beaverton and Aloha.

The family spent a majority of their years in Aloha, Oregon. They would have a big garden and Barbara would harvest and can green beans, peaches, pears and pickles. On top of being a wife and mother, she continued to do hairdressing at her home and working in childcare in and outside of the home. Once her children were older, she worked at Cedar Park Middle School in the cafeteria as well as a crossing guard. For many years Barbara and Jerome enjoyed hosting Japanese exchange students at their home in Aloha. Some stayed for a few months to stay for a whole year with Barbara and her family.

In 2006, they moved to "Barbara's Woods". On one side her neighbor was her sister Elizabeth and Harold Meeuwseen and son Leiland and on the other side, her nephew Kevin Kemper. Her brother George and wife Julie home across the street on the same land she grew-up on. Barbara enjoyed being close to her family once again and loved being around and caring for her grandchildren, even after the onset of her dementia she shared so much laughter and love with them.

Barbara was a lifelong member of the Catholic Church, having been a member of St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Forest Grove, a member of Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church in Aloha and Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Catholic Church in Verboort. Barbara was a member of the prayer circle and would deliver communion to the homebound.

Barbara was preceded in death by her parents, Stephen and Elizabeth Kemper, brother Francis, her sister Rosella and brother-in-law Walter ‘Babe’ Lepschat, and her sister Elizabeth and brother-in-law Harold Meeusween, and sister in-law Dolores Kemper.

Survivors include her husband, Jerome Rush, of the family home in Forest Grove, Oregon; her four children and their spouses, Douglas and Yukiko Rush, of Beaverton, Oregon; Katrina Rush, of Forest Grove, Oregon; Mary and Al Mowbray, of Aloha, Oregon and Joe Rush, of Tigard, Oregon; her brother Matthew Kemper of Gales Creek, Oregon and, her brother George and sister-in-law Julie Kemper, of Forest Grove, Oregon.

Also surviving are her three grandchildren, Tim Rush, of Beaverton, Oregon: Maddox Rush and Harlow Rush-Hines, of Tigard, Oregon and Simbaly Mowbray, of Aloha, Oregon and several nieces and nephews.

A Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Friday, November 10th, 2023, at Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Catholic Church, 4285 N.W. Visitation Road in Verboort, with Fr. Michael Vuky, celebrant. Rite of Christian Burial will follow at Visitation Parish Cemetery in Verboort.

Family and friends are invited to attend a reception immediately following the funeral mass, to be held in the parish center.