Barbara Ellen (Lemert) Short died peacefully with family at her side on December 2, 2024.  She passed just 48 hours after ensuring she had meaningful visits with each of her seven children, within days of the 80th anniversary of meeting her future husband, and over 95 years after being born on the side of the highway in Santa Ana, California.  She was a touchstone, confidante and counselor for many.

Born on August 16, 1929, Barbara was delivered by her father in the backseat of the car on the way to the hospital. Her parents, Nathan and Eleanor (Miller) Lemert had welcomed brother James Milo Lemert two years earlier.  The family lived in Huntington Beach, California during the Barbara’s early years.

Just prior to Barbara’s 7th birthday, the family took ownership of a farm south of Junction City, Oregon. Barbara attended a one-room schoolhouse, Lone Pine School, and graduated from Junction City High School as class valedictorian. She took pride in the strength she gained from growing up and working on the farm.  She enjoyed sharing her membership in the “two-ton club” having picked over 4,000 pounds of beans in one summer.  When not at the farm, Barbara enjoyed community and activities, including participating in some of the first basketball girls were able to play, limited to half court and shooting at peach baskets.

On Thanksgiving of 1944, Barbara’s brother, Milo, brought home Robert “Bob” Short, his college roommate from Oregon State, for Thanksgiving dinner at the Lemert farm.  Barbara and Bob began a friendship which developed while Bob served in the army.  An active correspondence evolved to dating and romance when Bob returned home.

Barbara attended Linfield College in McMinnville where she was a member of the Phi Beta Mu Sorority, sang in the A Cappella Choir, worked for the Linfield Review and performed in a production of “The Mikado”.  It was Barbara’s German Professor from Linfield, William Frerichs, that married Barbara and Bob in McMinnville on June 18, 1949.  They were married for 54 years until Bob’s death in 2003.

The start of their marriage and family propelled Barbara into the role that would most define her, being a mother.  Bob’s pursuit of advanced degrees in Electrical Engineering took them to New Jersey, California and, eventually, back to Corvallis when Bob took a position at Oregon State University.  They settled in the home that would be hers for the next 54 years, where they continued to raise their seven children. As the family grew, Barbara was a dedicated grandmother to 17 grandchildren, 15 great grandchildren, and two great-great grandchildren.  Being the loving matriarch of so many was clearly the greatest joy of her life.

Barbara loved holding babies, was patient and empathetic to toddlers, and was an adventurous participant in board, card, or backyard games of all kinds.  She was famously good at Chinese Checkers and Go Fish, while also being able to adeptly handle both a croquet mallet and a tennis racket.  In her late 80’s, she would go outside to catch pitches from her granddaughter. She and Bob cherished education and loved to give books.  For decades, she gave everyone in the family a book at Christmas and on their birthday each year.  Her grandchildren received books on Thanksgiving, Halloween, Valentine’s Day and Easter as well!  The smile on her face and joy of giving was matched only by her drive to set up the next family reunion, pulling people from all over to be together in the summertime.  She loved her family deeply and bonded with each child and grandchild in a unique way.

Barbara’s capacity to create community showed up in places outside their home as well.  She was enthusiastic about working at the OSU Bookstore, played tennis regularly with friends at Tennis West, and played games and shared a love of cooking with other friends and families that enriched her life.  Her salary at the bookstore likely did not cover the cost of the many books she bought there, but the connections she made with her colleagues and students were priceless.  Barbara’s warmth and grace extended beyond her large family to seemingly everyone she met.

For several years, Barbara and Bob were active in Crossroads, a community outreach for foreign students taking English-learning courses prior to being enrolled at Oregon State.  Cooking and gourmet club endeavors with friends became a passion for Bob and Barbara.  Whether it be for a large family gathering, Bob’s graduate students, students involved in Crossroads, or a student Barbara would meet at the bookstore that was far from home, they loved trying and sharing new recipes. They would host students from all over the world in their home and at their property in Lobster Valley and became like second parents to many. While the creamed beef and chicken liver of the 70’s have not made the family favorite list, homemade spaghetti sauce, crab cakes, stuffed mushrooms and bean dish are among those included in a family cookbook Barbara created, upon request, to ensure those cherished recipes live on.

Barbara and Bob found great joy in food, music, and culture.  They participated in Elderhostels all over the world, which combined travel with educational purposes.  They enjoyed attending operas and symphonies together and Barbara participated in choir throughout her life, including the First United Methodist Church choir and the Unitarian Church choir in her later years.

Through the grace necessitated in a large family, the conviction to save and pay for things like books, education, and travel, and the principles and care she brought to supporting people, Barbara consistently demonstrated the physical strength and character along with a loving humility that was so connected to her farm upbringing.  She really did have a wonderful life.

She was preceded in death by her husband Robert, brother Milo and sister-in-law Victoria Lemert. Barbara is survived by her children:  Kathleen Westfall (Steven), Rebecca Cator (Tom), Kevin Short (Holly), Jennifer Combs, Amy Dale (Wheeler), Brian Short (Cathie) and Emily Dazey (Eric); 17 grandchildren, 15 great-grandchildren and 2 great-great grandchildren; and her niece and nephews Mike (Linda), Kerry and Edward Lemert.

Donations in Barbara’s memory can be made to Robert A. Short/HKN Teaching Assistant Award Endowment Fund at the Oregon State University Foundation.

The family wishes to extend our heartfelt thanks to Stoneybrook Assisted Living for their support of Barbara over the last 5 years, and to Lumina Hospice for their tender care of Barbara during the last months.  Barbara spent her last weeks surrounded by loving friends and family.

Barbara will be laid to rest in Riverview Abbey Mausoleum, Portland, Oregon. A private ceremony will be held in her honor at that time. A gathering to celebrate her life will be held in the summer of 2025.