Barbara Lindquist (1930-2013)

               Barbara Lindquist, nee Holmes, 83, peacefully passed away on 

June 1 at the Wheaton Franciscan Hospice at All Saints Hospital in 

Racine. She was born on May 25, 1930 to Clarence E. and Oma A. Holmes 

in Chicago and has been a resident of Racine since 1975, after living 

in Kenosha for 16 years. She earned a two-year associate degree from 

Wright Jr. College in Chicago in 1951 and a B.A. in 1971 from the 

UW-Parkside. In addition to 20 years of raising a family of four 

children, she substitute-taught elementary school in Kenosha and taught 

full time at Children’s House in Racine. She was also an assistant 

public relations director at St. Luke’s Hospital.

               In partnership with Jeanne Arnold, she helped create Mother Courage 

Bookstore from 1978 to 1983 and Mother Courage Press in 1981. They 

published 25 titles that sold internationally, including two that were 

among the first sexual abuse therapy books for children. They retired 

the press in 2002. They started the women’s spirituality group in 1982 

that joined with the Olympia Brown Unitarian Universalist Church where 

she has been an active member since 1965. She was Director of Religious 

Education of the UU church school from 1974 to 1977.

She is the author of five published books, three under the pen name of 

B. L. Holmes and two under her own name. She also illustrated four 

Mother Courage Press books. As an artist she has sold more than 100 

works that are in private collections around the country. She also 

built a total of 59 musical instruments, including six guitars, three 

violins, three dulcimers and many, many others. She played guitar and 

other instruments, organizing the women’s band, “The Depends,” and 

played with the “Roadkill” band.

               Surviving are her life-partner of 39 years, Jeanne Arnold; her 

daughter, Kim Lindquist; sons Kurt (Kim) Lindquist, Klindt Lindquist, 

and Keith Lindquist; and her grandchildren Karl, Ryan, and Kyle 

Lindquist; Erin (Will) Merritt; Lauren, Jason and Jenny Bowen and great 

grandchildren. Also surviving her are Jeanne’s children, grandchildren 

and great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents; 

brother, Calvin; her granddaughter Krystal; and Jack Lindquist, her 

husband of 21 years.

               A memorial service will be held at the Olympia Brown Unitarian 

Universalist Church, 625 College Avenue, Racine, on Saturday, June 8, 

with a memorial service at 2 p.m. Relatives and friends may meet with 

the family at the church beginning at 1 p.m. Memorials suggested to the 

Olympia Brown Church UU Endowment Fund.