Barbara Jean Casteel

Our beautiful mother, Barbara Jean Casteel, passed from these earthly bounds, June 24, 2022, after a short battle with complications related to injuries sustained in a vehicle accident.  Barbara lived an incredible life which began, February 6, 1937, in Fort Worth, Texas.  As a child, she would move from Texas to the city of angels, Los Angeles, California. Eventually, she ended up living on a rural farm just west of Whitewater, Kansas.  She would remain there with her mother, Patricia Ruth Schmidt and Step-Father, William Stanley Schmidt, until she left for the University of Kansas, where she graduated in 1962, with a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education.  She went on to teach elementary in Kansas in 1965 and in Vermont from 1973–79.  While attending KU, she met an intriguing young man named, Darrell Casteel.  They were married November 17, 1957, that lasted 27 years until his untimely death at the young age of 44 years old.  The union produced two sons, Caron M. Casteel, and Marc E. Casteel.  Our mother’s love of education helped Darrell achieve his goal of becoming a Professor of Anthropology, Archaeology and Spanish, a language he was fluent in when they met.  Little did she know, she had helped create her own “Indiana Jones” who she would share years of amazing adventures with in the Jungles of Mexico and Central America.  During her marriage she moved from Kansas to Vermont for 10 years as educators while raising her sons.  Her final move to Dallas, Texas, in 1980, resulted in career changes. The untimely passing of her husband, Darrell in December of 1984, would eventually lead to her returning to Kansas permanently to care for her elderly mother.  In 1986, before leaving Texas for Kansas, she would finally give Stanley Schmidt, our grandfather, permission to adopt her in 1987.  At a young 50 years of age, she was one of the oldest adoptees in the States of Kansas and Texas.  For many years thereafter, she involved herself in various volunteer activities, such as CASA, Court Appointed Special Advocates, in Dallas County, and Harvey County, for over 25 years; served on the Board for Meals on Wheels; was inducted into the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) in 2000 and served as DAR Regent in 2007.  Her love of God’s creatures, especially her fur-babies, lead to her numerous contributions for many non-profit charities and local shelters.  She received the President’s Volunteer Service Award for outstanding service in her communities. Barbara, known by many as, Mamau, also had a passion for everything about the Victorian Era, to playing classical music on her piano.  Our precious Mamau will be dearly missed as she was the Matriarch of our small family and foundation of rock-solid stability for us all, especially, for my brother and I, from our childhood until the day she passed.  We all have a piece of our hearts gone forever.  Her limitless heart and vast ability to love makes our family’s world much smaller and incomplete.

Barbara Jean Casteel was preceded in death by her husband, Darrell L. Casteel; mother, Patricia Ruth Schmidt and adopted father, William Stanley Schmidt; brother, Clyde Goding, Jr.; and granddaughter, Kirsten L. Casteel.

Barbara is survived by her two children, Caron M. Casteel, and his wife Mary Casteel, their daughter’s, Tanya M. Casteel, and Amanda L. Casteel-Ruth, and Tanya’s daughter, Aeon Gallagher, Barbara’s only Great grandchild; Marc E. Casteel, and his wife, Karen James Casteel; their son, Reece E. Casteel, her only grandson.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations may be given to the National Fibromyalgia Association (NFA) 3857 Birch Street, Suite 312, Newport Beach, CA 92660; Email: nfa@fmaware.org Memorial Services will be held at Lamb Funeral Home, 120 South Main Street, Whitewater, Kansas, at 2:00 p.m. with Burial to follow at Brainerd Cemetery in Whitewater. Please sign her online guestbook and leave a memory of Elmo at www.yazelmeglifh.com.