Barbara (Hulse) Kasiewicz

Barbara J. (Hulse) Kasiewicz, 69, passed away suddenly on Saturday, July 11, 2020. She was born in a naval hospital in Portsmouth/Norfolk, Virginia, on January 12, 1951, to Margaret E. (Bock) Hulse and John M. Hulse, Sr. (Marine). She was the middle child of three and the oldest daughter. Growing up as a military “brat” meant moving a lot, but eventually, after her parents divorced Barbara (Barb) came to live in Ft. Wayne, Indiana, with her mother and younger sister. She went to high school at South Side, where she met and married her high school sweetheart before he was shipped off to Vietnam. Later she graduated with her high school diploma from South side, since married women were not allowed to attend regular daytime high schools. Barb gave birth to three daughters (Kathryn, Michelle & Tara) in Ft. Wayne, who were the stars in her eyes. Barb had the pleasure of being a stay at home mother for most of her daughter’s young lives, and she thoroughly enjoyed watching them grow and being involved in their lives. During this time, she was able to instill her deep love of reading and crafts into her girls. When her youngest daughter was two, Barb made the difficult decision to move her daughters to Eagle, Colorado, to begin a new life as a single mother. It was during this difficult time that she met the great love of her life, her second husband, Bernie Kasiewicz. They married and settled on a small ranch in McCoy, Colorado, high in the mountains, where they both loved the view of the mountains and wildlife. Both Barb and Bernie helped people in their small community. Many people, however, considered Barbara their surrogate mother/grandmother/great-grandmother. She was a giving person to anyone who needed help and made sure all their needs were met before her own. She cared deeply for her family, friends and neighbors. She worked different jobs through her life, including manning the voter booths and enrolling people for voter registration. She really enjoyed helping to get the McCoy library started, utilizing one of rooms of the original schoolhouse, to help others enjoy books, which was one of her passions in her life. She was always trying to see the possibilities; there really were fairies if we just believed hard enough! Her greatest joy in life was being around family and friends, making everyone happy and seeing them smile. The last year of her life she was able to spend time with extended family and friends. David (Wells) Martinez was a wonderful caregiver to her. He made sure she had a smile on her face every day and her family will always be very grateful to him. Her grandson, James, was also a blessing who helped with her care. Barb is survived by her daughters, Kathryn (Mike) Clark, Michelle (Steve) Ball and Tara Dahman. She was the grandmother to three amazing young men: Joshua Ehinger, Joseph Ball and James (Nicole) Ball. She also was blessed to have three amazing great granddaughters whom she loved to the moon and back: Ezra, Valentine and Aurora. Barb is also survived by her mother Margaret E. Meyer, sister Katherine (Greg) Hair, sister-in-law Judith (Bill), nephew Ryan Hulse, niece Megan Hair and extended family. Barb joins in Heaven her father, John M. Hulse, Sr., her husband Bernard J. Kasiewicz, her brother John M. Hulse, Jr., and sister-in-law Marta Hulse. The family asks that anyone wishing to honor her memory make donations in Barbara’s name to one of the following charities: The National Autistic Society, Susan G. Komen, Disabled Veterans of America and the Wounded Warrior Project. Due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, a celebration of life will be held at a later date.

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