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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories City plans event for TAP line Signups underway for classes for older adults Airport, historic commissioners named; vacancies remain on other panels Boosters Club needs parents to volunteer Ashland makes nationwide 'Great Places' list Education Signups underway for classes for older adults They're back (and they've brought friends) Free TED talk simulcast in Ashland Schneider Children's Center branches out Getting a 'Fresh Start' Environment OR-7's pups true wolves Mt. Ashland Hill Climb Agency says hatcheries OK on Columbia Do you think foods containing GMOs should say so on the label? SOU sells energy credits to Chevy Business Loving the leather Family Massage center leaving busy corner for homier site Oregon Trail Card users can shop at farmers markets 1-800 Flowers.com to buy Harry & David Happy Labor Day Politics and elections Airport, historic commissioners named; vacancies remain on other panels Two races set for council positions Library district won't take maximum tax rate Commissioner Skundrick plans final four town hall meetings Taking an independent stand State News Nation - World Obituaries Dr. Stephen Edward Drabik Martha M. Ekwall Steven J. Borich Dr. Barry Rheault Janie Sparks Sports Latest Stories (No heading) No. 22 Southern Oregon, No. 2 Carroll set for early-season showdown Boosters Club needs parents to volunteer Mt. Ashland Hill Climb Grizzlies off on the right foot High school Boosters Club needs parents to volunteer Grizzlies off on the right foot Grizzlies' sights set on another playoff run Southern Oregon University No. 22 Southern Oregon, No. 2 Carroll set for early-season showdown Grizzlies off on the right foot Toiling on the field SOU-Carroll is NAIA game of week SOU's Dodge honored Opinion Latest Stories Granlund cartoon: Joan Rivers tribute Granlund cartoon: High-density housing Meeting in the middle Matthew T. Mangino: Facial recognition technology a law enforcement tool Granlund cartoon: Home Depot data breach Editorial Meeting in the middle One small carbon footprint ... Not out of the woods yet Our View: Taking small steps to confront climate change Now's the time to taste the bounty Letters Letters to the Editor, Sept. 4 Letters to the Editor, Sept. 3 Letters to the Editor, Aug. 30 Letters to the Editor, Aug. 29 Letters to the Editor, Aug. 28 Guest opinions Two seemingly disparate moments in history Rauch replies: Frustrating, yes — yet there is method in't The summer of my discontent: An open letter to Bill Rauch Opportunities for civic involvement are plentiful in Ashland Hamas supporters spread anti-Semitism around the world Revels Latest Stories Community blog: Sheila Bender and Jonah Bornstein 'Freud's Last Session" at Ashland Contemporary Theatre CultureFest at Oregon Shakespeare Festival Community blog: Poet Willa Schneberg at Bloomsbury Books Community blog:Ashland Book and Author Festival Coming Soon Theater 'Freud's Last Session" at Ashland Contemporary Theatre Wise cracks and hot licks make for super show OSF adds 'Wrinkle in Time' Family Night Daedalus Project 2014 Music The Jeff Stanley Trio at Lounge South 'On the Fly' Visual Art Ashland's First Friday Art Walk showcases new exhiits by regional artists Movies Movie listings: Sept. 5-11 Movie listings: Aug. 27-Sept. 4 'Calvary' is about darkness and dialogue Varsity Theatre, Ashland Street Cinemas movie listings: Aug. 22-26 'What If' hits the sweet spot Food and Drink World of Wine celebrates local varietals Lifestyle Latest Stories Mt. Ashland Hill Climb 'Spooky action': Peacemaking through synchronicity Community Blog: Communication is an Art Oregon Trail Card users can shop at farmers markets Learning from the dying what people should know about living Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obituaries Photos Videos Blogs Barbara Ella Birch Black DailyTidings.com Writer Posted Sep. 4, 2014 @ 2:00 am Posted Sep. 4, 2014 @ 2:00 am » Social News Barbara Ella Birch Black passed away July 30, 2014, in Ashland after a lifetime of outdoor adventure and optimism. She was smart, kind, fun, and funny, irreverent, accepting, patient, and forgiving. She loved unconditionally and made the best of every situation. At 94, she had not outlived all her friends, because she had friends of all ages, and kept making new ones. Barbara was born to Wallace Newton Birch and Ethel Land Birch in a nurse's home in Whittier, Calif., June 15, 1920, arriving home in a horse-drawn carriage. Her three siblings had whooping cough so she was placed in a box under an open window in the hopes that she wouldn't get infected. Barbara always strove to keep up with her older brother and when she went to kindergarten and learned she wouldn't be taught to read that year, she was so unhappy the school passed her straight to first grade. She graduated top of her class at Whittier High School at age 16. To save money, she attended Pasadena Junior College before transferring to and graduating from the University of California at Berkley with honors, a major in Spanish and a minor in History. She worked her way through college as a nanny, waitress, and companion. Another year at Berkeley earned her a teaching credential, and she began teaching in Riverside. In between teaching school, Barbara spent a summer waitressing in Sequoia National Park. There she met a handsome ranger, Bruce Black, just home from the war. He was one of the first soldiers back and the subject of spirited competition. Within six months, Barbara and Bruce were married and began an amazing adventure that lasted the next 65 years until his death in 2011. When Bruce was assigned to horse pack into the Sequoia National Park backcountry for the summer, Barbara was not about to be left behind. She packed up their two-year-old daughter Patty, put James, three months, in a cradleboard, and rode off behind Bruce. She learned to cook on a woodstove and keep the baby bottles cool in the river. Next, they moved to Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska, by then with another daughter, Claudia. They spent one summer living on a boat and another summer on a remote island by themselves. Barbara loved it all. They returned to the Lower 48, to Joshua Tree National Monument, where their youngest, daughter Pauline, was born. Later assignments included Crater Lake; Washington, D.C.; Cape Hatteras, N.C.; San Francisco, Calif.; and finally, Tupelo, Miss. Some places were easier to love than others, but Barbara enjoyed the variety and always found much to appreciate in every location. After Bruce retired, they moved to Corvallis to be near their first grandchild, Eric, Claudia's son. They made the city their home for the next 30 years, sinking deep roots. They were active members of the Episcopal Church of the Good Samaritan. Barbara was also a proud charter member of an OSU study on the impact of weight-bearing exercise on post-menopausal women. For 12 years, she participated in the Better Bones classes, not only improving her strength and bone-density, but making wonderful friends. Bruce and Barbara loved working in their yard where Barbara raised flowers, and Bruce grew vegetables and fruit. They traveled widely taking Elder Hostel trips to Europe, China, and Latin America; going on annual birding trips with family and friends from the church and sailing in the Pacific Northwest with Claudia and her husband, Carl. Their five grandchildren were the light of their later years. They took the kids backpacking, hiking, camping, bird watching, and canoeing. Barbara played on the floor with the kids and baked cookies for them to take home. When it was time to move into a retirement home, they chose Ashland to be close to Pauline and her family. Barbara kept in touch with the friends she'd left behind via email, a habit she started when she got an iPad at age 90! She became part of the new community and made friends there she dearly loved. Barbara is survived by her four children, Patty Black and husband, Mike Tompkins, and James Black of Crescent City, Calif.; Claudia Black and husband, Carl Hosticka, of Tualatin; and Pauline Black and husband, Edwin Johnson, of Ashland; five grandchildren, Eric (Katie), of Tigard; Galal Al-Alas and partner, Laura Adams, of Crescent City, Calif.; Jeremy Keim (Lindsay), of Schauffhausen, Switzerland, Wolf Black and Ariana Birchhall of Ashland, and Eric Johnson and partner, Melissa Garcia, of Stockton; one great-granddaughter: Kennedy Keim of Tigard; and a great-grandson due in October in Switzerland. A celebration of Barbara's life will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 6, at Church of the Good Samaritan, Corvallis, Ore. All are welcome. For those who wish to make contributions in Barbara's memory, the family suggests donations to Friends of Crater Lake (friendsofcraterlake.org) or the National Parks Conservation Association (npca.org). DailyTidings.com Writer Posted Sep. 4, 2014 @ 2:00 am You may leave your condolences or share memories by signing the Guest Book here » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2014 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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