Barbara J. Hedden was born Oct. 11, 1932, in Tacoma, Washington, to Ray and Edna Sweet. She passed away April 27, 2023. She grew up in the Tacoma and Kent area graduating from Fife High School in 1950.
Barbara married Ken Hedden on June 15, 1951, in Fife, Washington, and they moved to Palmer, Alaska. In 1953, they moved to Tenino to establish Heddens Pharmacy and to raise their family.
Barbara loved her family, traveling, sewing, baking, collecting recipes and spending winters at her home in Yuma, Arizona. She was a member of Olympia Chapter and Past Grand Matron of Washington Order of Eastern Star. She was also a member of South Thurston County Historical Society, Tenino Wooden Money Society, the United Churches of Olympia and a 75-year member of East Hill Grange.
Surviving Barbara are her children, Shirley (Duane) Johnson, Dale, Brian (Robin), Janet Hedden and Carol (Rick) Erickson; grandchildren: Ken (Josie) Johnson, Kristin Gayle, Brent (Crystal) Hedden, Laura (Carl Jonientz) Hedden, Marc (Randi Nandyal) Hedden and Ryan (Hunter) Erickson; and great-grandchildren, Chloe, Carly and Kyra Johnson, Zooey Gayle and Carter and Avery Hedden; and siblings Jerry (Gailwyn) Sweet, Roger Sweet and Marilyn Anderson. Barbara was preceded in death by Ken and her parents.
A celebration of Barbara’s life will be held at 2 p.m. Wednesday, May 17, at The United Churches, 110 11th Avenue SE, Olympia.
Funeral arrangements are by Funeral Alternatives of Washington. To leave memorials and condolences, go to funeralalternatives.org. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Tenino Depot Museum, P.O. Box 339, Tenino, WA 98589 or to Ballet Northwest, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization at P.O. Box 2888, Olympia, WA 98507.
