Barbara J. Penny, age 51 of Waseca, died Monday, Jan. 23, 2006, at her home in Waseca.

Funeral services will be at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 28, at St. John Lutheran Church in Waseca with the Rev. Vicki Hultine and the Rev David Berg officiating.

Visitation will be on Friday from 4 to 8 p.m. at McRaith Funeral Home in Waseca. There will be no visitation Saturday morning at the church.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to the Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer or to St. John Lutheran Youth in Waseca.

Barbara Jean was born on Sept. 11, 1954, in San Bernardino, Calif., the daughter of Clarence &8220;Kelly&8221; and Dorothy (Knudtson) Christianson.

Barb was a farm girl growing up on farms in the Thompson and Lake Mills, Iowa area.

She graduated from Lake Mills High School in 1972.

She attended NIACC in Mason City, Iowa and Winona State University.

On Oct. 18, 1975, she was united in marriage to her high school sweetheart in Scarville, Iowa.

Barb was a devoted wife and mother.

She maintained the household as her husband pursued an 18-year political career.

Tim and Barb resided in New Richland, Minn., and Vienna, Va., for the 12 years Tim served as southern Minnesota U.S. representative.

They moved with their children to Waseca in the fall of 1994.

Barb worked as a preschool teacher while residing in Vienna.

While living in Waseca, Barb worked at the Waseca Art Center, Waseca Secretarial Service and Krienke Insurance Agency.

She loved to volunteer.

It brought her a great sense of satisfaction and she wanted to be an example to her children and others to give back to her community.

Her volunteerism included chairwoman of Waseca Healthy Community/ Healthy Kids Initiative, board member of the Waseca Arts Council, volunteer for Waseca Arts Council Housewalk for several years, president of Waseca Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, volunteer at Farmamerica, Waseca County Historical Society, and while her children were young, she volunteered at their schools.

Barb loved children, especially teens.

She served as a Rotary Strive mentor.

She was still a mentor to her special friend, Mercedes, whom she had been working with for five years.

Barb and Tim were members of St. John Lutheran Church in Waseca.

There they both were active in teaching eighth grade, organizing and chaperoning the last five youth mission trips.

Barb also served on the church council, chaired the education commission and was actively involved in the confirmation program. Barb received three distinguished volunteer awards:

Channel 12 (12 Who Care), Girl Scouts Women of Distinction and Waseca Service Above Self Award.

She is survived by her husband, Tim; three sons, Jamison and his fiancee Terra Thompson of Minneapolis, Joseph of St. Paul and Marcus;

one daughter, Molly; one special granddaughter, Ramona of Waseca; her mother, Dorothy of Lake Mills, Iowa; six brothers, Greg (Joyce) Christianson of Baxter, Iowa, Leon (Jane) Christianson of Lake Mills, Joel (Marlys) Christianson of Lake Mills, Eric (Kathy) Christianson of Lake Mills, Jay (Kara) Christianson of Wells, and Tom Christianson and special friend Jody of Scarville, Iowa; her mother-in-law, Donna Penny of Walters; brothers-in-law, Dan Penny and special friend Sara of Maple Grove, Greg Penny of Red Wing, Mitch (Cindy) Penny of Northfield, Joel Penny of Walters and Troy Penny of Walters; sister-in-law, Dena (Doug) Trytten of Kiester;

beloved nieces and nephews; and many aunts and uncles.

She was preceded in death by her grandparents and by her father, Clarence.