Barbara J Block

Barbara (Moore) Block, age 85, entered the presence of her Lord and Savior on October 19, 2023 in Valrico, Florida where she resided since September 2015. Earthly pain and discouragement have been replaced with perfect love, perfect peace, and extraordinary joy. St. Augustine said, “Thou hast made us for thyself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in Thee…”

Barb was born on September 28, 1938 at Naeve Hospital in Albert Lea, Minnesota to Edward and Blanche Moore, the third of their four children. She grew up on Maple Island outside of Hollandale, Minnesota and graduated with scholastic honors from Albert Lea High School in 1956. Barb and her mother played organ and piano duets at their Hollandale church and were regular accompanists at Sunday evening services.  Barb continued to enjoy playing the piano throughout her life and often played for those who knew her.

At age twelve Barb received Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior at a youth rally in Austin, Minnesota; an event which changed the direction of her life. From then on, she fervently read and studied the Bible and lived to honor God in her life and ministry.  She chose Philippians 3:10 as her life verse, “That I may know Christ, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death.”

Barb attended Mankato State University and graduated from Moody Bible Institute in Chicago. Following graduation, she served as a Christian Education Director with AMOC (American Mission for Opening Closed Churches) in Buffalo, New York and subsequently married H. Jacque Block on June 14, 1963. After Jacque graduated from Fort Wayne Bible College, they moved to Van Wert, Ohio and Monticello, Indiana where he pastored churches before they moved to Minnesota. She held administrative positions for several organizations in the Twin Cities area including Northwestern National Life Insurance Company, Bethel Theological Seminary, the National Youth Leadership Council, and The Saint Paul Foundation.

 After retirement Barb moved to Albert Lea where she volunteered for several organizations.  Other interests included entertaining family and friends, collecting small glass bottles and U.S. postage stamps, genealogical research, scrapbooking, and vacationing in New England. Her greatest joy was spending time with her children and grandchildren. She is survived by her brother, Roger Moore (Betty), children Melody Johnson (Tim), Bethany Talbert (Alan), and Nathan Block (Christa); her fourteen grandchildren, and nine great-grandchildren - with three more on the way!  Preceding her in death were her parents, sister Norma, and brother Jerry.

Barbara will be laid to rest next to her parents and sister at Oakland Lutheran Cemetery in Freeborn County, Minnesota.  At her request there will be no public visitation or memorial service.  Bayview Freeborn Funeral Home is assisting with arrangements. Barb asked that memorials be directed to the Freeborn County Historical Museum, one of her favorite places to volunteer.

“Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His children.”