Barbara Gish

Barbara “Bobbi Jo” Gish, was born in Mountain Home, Arkansas on July 30th, 1953. Her parents, Joe and Peggy Estes, raised her along with her three sisters, Marsha Estes, Vicky McLaughlin, and Linda Hedeen on a farm in Gamelial, Arkansas. There, Bobbi Jo helped raise chickens, goats, horses, and cattle. They were so successful, in fact, that the Estes family won the 1979 Farm Family of the Year award for Baxter County, Arkansas. Bobbi Jo later became a CNA before marrying Leroy Gish and having two children; Loren “Odes” and Melissa. Her hobbies included gardening, hunting, painting, and riding horses. Despite being diagnosed with MS (Multiple Sclerosis) in 1994 and a subsequent divorce, she continued to bring joy and love to those around her as she resided in nursing homes both in Neosho and West Plains, Missouri. Full of determination and perseverance, Bobbi went on to win numerous awards as she competed in wheel chair races and hog calling in the Senior Olympics. She took every opportunity to live life to its fullest and was a warrior to the very end. On October 8th, 2020, Barbara passed away after courageously battling MS and it’s subsequent complications for over 26 years. Barbara Gish was preceded in death by her parents and sisters; Marsha and Vicki. She is survived by her sister and brother-in-law, Linda and Tom Hedeen, three nephews; Michael, Tom, and Joe Bernard, two children, Loren (29) and Melissa Gish (26), and her two grandchildren, Adilynn (8) and Elliot Gish (2).