Barbara Kellogg, age 84, of Decorah, Iowa passed away on Sunday, March 22, 2026, at The Highlands (Aase Haugen) in Decorah, Iowa.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, April 7, 2026, at Helms Funeral Home, 306 E Water Street, Decorah, Iowa with Rev. Randy Kittelson presiding.

Visitation will be held from 10:00 a.m. until the time of the service at the funeral home on Tuesday morning.

Barbara Karen (Jenner) Kellogg was born on October 10, 1941 to Dick and Hope (Lane) Jenner in Wichita, Kansas. She attended grade school in Wichita, then high school in Freeport, Illinois, and spent her first year of college at the University of Iowa. Ultimately, her family moved to Lansing, Michigan where she met her future husband, Dick Kellogg, and graduated with a degree in social work in 1964 from Michigan State University.

Barb and Dick were united in marriage on June 29, 1964 in Bellevue, Washington where her family had recently moved. After a lovely honeymoon at Harrison Hot Springs, British Columbia, Canada, Barb began working as a social welfare case worker in Seattle for the State Dept of Social Services. As Dick’s career as a geophysicist progressed, they were transferred by Standard Oil to locations as diverse as Anchorage, Alaska; Calgary, Alberta, Canada; and Bakersfield, California. They then returned to Lansing, Michigan so Dick could complete his PhD and Barb returned to work as a probation officer with the Juvenile Court. Near the end of this time, they were blessed with their daughter, Jennifer, and after completing his PhD in geophysics, Dick accepted a teaching position at Luther College and they moved to Decorah, Iowa in 1971.

When Jennifer entered grade school, Barb returned to work as a proofreader and feature writer for Decorah Newspapers until retirement. Barb was also active with the Winneshiek County Saddle Club, Winneshiek County Historical Society, Luther College Woman’s Club, and the American Association of University Women (AAUW). She acted as historian and recordkeeper for Luther College Woman’s Club and Winneshiek County Saddle Club. She also was a founding member of Great Strides of Northeast Iowa, a therapeutic horseback riding program helping people with disabilities. She and her horses participated for twenty years.

A lifelong passion for horses was started when Barb received a ride at age six while visiting a ranch in Colorado and solidified when she attended a camp in the Flint Hills of Kansas where she began trail riding. Easy listening music, especially cowboy singers such as Gene Autry and Roy Rogers, and horses were central to her enjoyment of life. Barb enjoyed scenery and trail riding wherever she lived; Barb helped create the trails above Ice Cave Road and rode extensively in Van Peenen Park in Decorah . She owned dozens of horses over her lifetime and rode up until age 75.

Barb also loved her German Shepherds, hiking with Dick (locally and at favorite vacation places, including in the Pacific Northwest), and spending summers at their cabin in northern Michigan. While at the lake, she had a lot of fun fishing with Dick, swimming, and having cookouts with friends. Barb and Dick also fished many local spots, including Wyalusing State Park on the Wisconsin side of the Mississippi River. She loved beauty in nature, her animals, and most of all her family. Everyone who met her knew her to be detailed, analytical, and assertive, but with a good sense of humor and ability to make really clever puns.

Barb is survived by her husband, Dick Kellogg, her daughter, Jennifer (Rodney) Folstad, and sisters Brenda (Jay) Jacobson and Deborah Jenner. She was preceded in death by her parents, Dick and Hope Jenner.

The family appreciates the compassionate care shown to Barb by St. Croix Hospice and The Highlands (Aase Haugen).