Barbara Craig Queen

Never judge a book by its cover has never been truer than for those who knew Barbara Craig Queen. People assumed when they met this petite lady with oversized red glasses that she might be a pushover, but they were wrong. For those who got to know Barbara, they found a family matriarch, astute business leader, revered teacher, dedicated volunteer, and a friend for life. She truly took interest in all that she met, whether it be a student, a farmer, or a care assistant. A connoisseur of chocolate and Diet Coke, she taught her grandchildren that dessert for breakfast was an acceptable way to start your day.Barbara, a proud, lifelong resident of Wichita, passed away on January 10, 2023 in Prairie Village, KS. Barbara was the second child of Austin Brown and Mildred Evelyn Craig and younger sister to Ellen Jeanette Craig Morgan. Diagnosed with asthma at age 4, Barbara spent much of her childhood reading books. This led to a passion for education and a lifetime of always improving herself through reading. Rarely did you not find Barbara without a book.After graduating from East High School, Barbara attended the University of Kansas, where she majored in English. While there, she started a family and welcomed her son, Barry, into her life. After college, the family moved back to Wichita and later welcomed Matthew. In the 70’s, Barbara went back to school to earn a degree in education and later a Masters in botany. She loved traveling across Kansas collecting samples of flower and fauna. She became a high school science teacher at South High, where she would teach anyone that entered her class with enthusiasm. Mrs. Queen had a reputation for being supportive of her students while still holding them accountable. She had a profound impact on the youth she taught. Barbara loved her family dearly, was always present for their activities, and endlessly proud of their achievements. Over the years she made countless trips to Kansas City and Fort Worth to assure she was a part of her grandchildren’s lives. She wanted her family to be well rounded people and supported this idea by taking them to musicals and museums (ranging from classical art to barbwire). She would always engage, asking what they were looking at and to put yourself in the place of the people that made or used the item.Following the death of her mother, Barbara took the lead in running the family farm business for 25 years. She was proud of her family’s heritage of homesteading in Kansas and made sure that heritage was protected to pass down to future generations. Barbara followed her mother’s example of giving back to the community. During her life, she served as a committee chair for the Chi Omega fundraisers, worked the phones at the public television telethon, served on school fundraisers and volunteered at the Institute of Logopedics. After her teaching career, Barbara focused her volunteer efforts on her passions of art, theatre and history. She served as a Docent for the Wichita Art Museum, volunteered at the Wichita Historical Society, served as a Member of the Guild for Music Theatre of Wichita, and was on the Board at Plymouth Congregational Church. She was preceded in death by her parents and sister, Ellen. She is survived by sons, Barry Craig Queen (Pamela) of Grapevine, TX, Matthew Craig Queen (Mary Ann) of Prairie Village, KS; grandchildren, Austin Queen (Megan), Kelsey Queen, Zachary Queen, Margaret Queen and Millie Queen. She is also survived by her nieces, Linda Meserve (Rick) and Sharon Mouton (Eric).Services will be at 11:00 am on Friday, February 10 at Plymouth Congregational Church, 202 N Clifton Ave, Wichita, KS 67208 followed by a reception in the Church Hall. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that a donation be considered for the Wichita Art Museum.Services in care of Downing & Lahey East Mortuary.