ROCHELLE — Barbara Elizabeth Dixson Guest, 89, of Rochelle, passed away Saturday, July 4, 2020 at the Serenity Hospice Home in Oregon.

Barbara was born on April 17, 1931, in Monmouth, Illinois, the oldest child of Joseph and Elizabeth (Howard) Dixson. She graduated from Monmouth High School in 1949 and Monmouth College, Monmouth, Illinois, in 1953 with a degree in business. Following graduation, she worked at the Harris Trust and Savings Bank in Chicago, Illinois, for two years. While in Chicago, she met David Guest; they were married on May 14, 1955. A small-town girl at heart, in August 1955, Barbara moved with David from Chicago to Rochelle, a town which she called home for the rest of her life. 

Barbara was an active member of the First Presbyterian Church of Rochelle, participating as an Elder, Clerk of the Session and a Deacon. She is also remembered as a caring Sunday School teacher, regular Thrift Shop volunteer, and hand bell choir member. She also served as general chairwoman for a finance drive to fund the addition to the church building.

Philanthropy was always an important value to Barbara. In addition to serving the Presbyterian Church community, Barbara was a 70-year member of the Kappa Kappa Gamma Fraternity, 62-year member of the P.E.O. Sisterhood, Service Club and Red Hat Society. When her children were growing up she was actively involved as a Bluebird and Campfire Girl leader as well as a Cub Scout den mother. She was also a charter member and the first board president of H.O.P.E., an organization providing assistance to victims and survivors of domestic abuse in Ogle County, and helped to organize the Rochelle Area chapter of the League of Women Voters. 

In her spare time Barbara showed a keen interest in genealogy and researching her family history, playing golf and bridge and traveling the world, visiting the Great Wall of China, touring French chateaux with her granddaughters, meeting her childhood pen pal in England and cruising through the Panama Canal, to name a few of the adventures she and David enjoyed over the course of their 65-year marriage. And a list of Barbara’s interests would be incomplete without mentioning her unwavering devotion to the color purple, collecting anything in that color or with her favorite flower, violets.

She is survived by her husband, David; daughter Aimee Hucek of Western Springs, Illinois and son Thomas (Laurie) of DeKalb; grandchildren, Kristin, Lauren, Grace and Greta Hucek and Evan and Ellie Guest; sister, Susan Smith of Glen Ellyn; brother, Dr. Michael (Pamela) Dixson of Spokane, Washington; sister-in-law, Maurine Hoeppner of Glen Ellyn; and many nieces, nephews, and cousins

A private family funeral service will be held at 1 p.m. on Friday, July 10 at the First Presbyterian Church of Rochelle with Pastor Doug Forsberg officiating. Private interment will follow in Lawnridge Cemetery, Rochelle. The funeral service may be viewed live on the Unger-Horner Funeral Home Facebook page.

Memorials to First Presbyterian Church of Rochelle and Serenity Hospice and Home of Oregon, Illinois.

Please visit www.ungerhorner.com to sign the online guest book.