Barbara Ruth Booher

In Loving Memory of Barbara Booher

Barbara Ruth Booher (nee Wehmeyer), beloved mother, grandmother, and friend, passed away peacefully on May 20, 2026, at the age of 88. Her life was marked by curiosity, compassion, and a joy for the simple pleasures that made each day meaningful.

Barbara was born on April 24, 1938, in Sibley, Iowa, to John William Wehmeyer and Mary Alice Wehmeyer (nee Ramsey). She graduated from Sibley High School in 1955. She then went on to graduate from nursing school in Sioux City, Iowa, in 1958. Her time working at a hospital in Iowa City led her to meet and later marry Arnold Booher. They moved several times in the coming years, eventually settling in Indianola, Iowa, where Barb lived until March of this year. They had three children together, Eric, David, and Sally.

An avid lover of word games and puzzles, Barbara could often be found immersed in crossword puzzles or a good Scrabble match. However, her love of words didn’t end there. In the era of texts and emails, she spent hours crafting thoughtful letters to loved ones. As a lifelong learner, she sought to understand different perspectives on topics such as religion and spirituality. She engaged with the world deeply, and books were a constant companion. She loved both reading and discussing literature.

She enjoyed college sports, especially the Iowa Hawkeyes. Travel brought her much joy. Trips to the ocean, the mountains of Colorado, and several national parks were recounted with a smile on her face. Her love for baking and ability to make a mean lemon meringue pie, always left guests feeling appreciated and cared for. Her clever wit and gentle humor brought happiness and laughter to everyone around her.

She dedicated her professional life to nursing, serving as the Warren County Iowa public health nursing director for a number of years, as well as devoting several decades to hospital nursing - including stroke rehab at the Younker Rehabilitation Center of Methodist Hospital in Des Moines. After retiring, she continued to care for others as a hospice volunteer.

Barb is survived by her son, David Booher; her daughter, Sally (John) Garry; Shari Ridgway, wife of her late son, Eric Booher; and her grandchildren, Nicholas Booher, Rowan Booher, Rose Garry, and Tom Garry. She was preceded in death by her brother, Virgil Wehmeyer; her sister, Carol Dagel; her son, Eric Booher; and her ex-husband, Arnold Booher.

A celebration of life will be held on Sunday, July 19, 2026, from 1:00–3:00 p.m. at the Jay C Hormel Nature Center in Austin, Minnesota, where friends and family will gather to honor her extraordinary life and the warmth she brought to everyone she met.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations to Kavanagh Hospice Home at 900 56th Street, Des Moines, IA 50312 or https://everystep.org/donate.

Worlein-Hoff Funeral Homes of Austin are assisting the family with arrangements.