Barbara Ann Bruns, 84, of Owensville, formerly of Kansas City, passed away Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026, at StoneBridge of Owensville.
She was born Nov. 15, 1941, to the late Glenn Curtis and Grace Elizabeth (Snyder) Bryant in Medford.
She was raised with a deep love for animals, especially the draft horses her family raised and beagles—an affection that stayed with her throughout her life.
From 1963 to 1966, Barbara served the Methodist Church Board of Global Missions as a medical missionary at United Christian Hospital in Lahore, Pakistan. During her time there, she led a team in establishing the hospital’s first laboratory, reflecting both her leadership and commitment to serving others. Barbara had a remarkable aptitude for languages and spoke several, including Hindi, Farsi, some Arabic and Urdu which she could converse in almost flawlessly to the end of her life.
Barbara spent her life working for human rights and civil rights, believing deeply in the dignity and worth of every person. In the 1960s, she marched with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and participated in lunch counter sit-ins, standing on the front lines of the Civil Rights Movement. That commitment to justice guided her faith, her service, and the way she welcomed people from all walks of life into her home and heart.
Barbara was united in marriage to James Alan Bruns Aug. 12, 1967, in Warrensburg. Following their marriage, Jim and Barb spent their first 10 years together in Knob Noster, where Jim was teaching and Barb worked at Johnson County Memorial Hospital in Warrensburg. They later settled in Kansas City, where they spent the majority of their lives investing in their church and community and building lasting relationships.
Barbara was a longtime member of St. Luke’s United Methodist Church in Kansas City. Barbara and Jim volunteered together on numerous church work trips, where Barbara was best known as the cook for the group, nourishing others both through her meals and her caring spirit. She loved to cook and bake homemade bread, enjoyed sewing and quilting, and was an avid reader who belonged to several book clubs. She truly never met a stranger and was lovingly known as “Nonni” to dozens of international exchange students, welcoming them as her own family.
In her later years, Barbara taught classes at Longview Community College, where she continued to share her compassion for animals and her lifelong love of knowledge with her students.
She was preceded in death by parents, Curt and Elizabeth; and brother, Jim Bryant.
Barbara is survived by husband, Jim of Rosebud; daughters, Amy Jo Estes and husband John of Rosebud, Kerri Craven and husband Jay of Lee’s Summit, Monica DeLeon of Tucson, Ariz., Amer Bindahri of Yemen; brother, Bob Bryant and wife Sophie of Lake Winnebago; sister-in-law, Theresa Bryant of Holden; grandchildren, Hannah Haile and husband Garrit, Sarah Estes and Kurtis and Joel Craven; and great-grandson, Brantley Haile.
Barbara will be remembered for a life lived without borders—serving globally, advocating relentlessly for human and civil rights, sharing knowledge freely and welcoming people from every corner of the world as family.
Her body was cremated and a Celebration of Life will be held in Kansas City at a later date.
Arrangements entrusted to Gottenstroeter Funeral Home in Owensville.
