Barbara "Bobbi" M. Douglas, 87, of Grafton formerly of Grinnell, Iowa, left this life peacefully, surrounded by family on Sunday, June 23, 2024, at Aurora Medical Center Grafton, WI.

The daughter of the late Kenneth "Bill" and Nellie (May) Sutten, Barbara was born on October 25, 1936 in Newburg, IA. Bobbi attended the Newburg United Church of Christ Congregational and graduated from Newburg High School in 1954. Newburg was forever the home of her heart.

On January 9, 1960, Bobbi was united in marriage to Dean Douglas, in Morrison, Illinois. Dean and Bobbi raised their two children in Newburg and Grinnell. Summer weekends were spent Camping and boating. In later years they divided their time between Iowa and Texas. Dean passed away on July 29, 2014.

Barbara received her Bachelor of Nursing degree from the University of Iowa and later her master's degree in education. The many years Barbara spent as an instructor of nursing at the Evangelical School of Nursing in Marshalltown was a perfect combination of her dedication to nursing and her passion for teaching. She ended her working days as Nursing Home Inspector and Instructor for the State of Iowa. But she would forever say "I am a nurse".

Barbara found true joy in the company of friends and family. She was always ready to have a family dinner, biscuit and gravy breakfast, or a fish fry with fish she and Dean had caught.

Win or lose, the Iowa Hawkeyes always had Bobbi's support, especially the basketball teams.

Finding her roots was a lifelong hobby for Bobbi. She spent many hours researching Sutten genealogy, traveling to cemeteries and historical libraires across the Midwest, searching for just one more piece of information.

Those left to cherish her memory are her children Julie (Ed) Austin and Scott (Kerry) Douglas, her grandsons; Brady (Christena), Trevor (Rachel Deterding) Toby, and Baxter Austin, granddaughter Sammie Wagner, her great grandchildren; Julian, Harriet and Eloise Austin, her sister-in-law, Pat Sutten, lifelong best friend Betty Anderson, along with beloved nieces, nephews, other relatives and many friends.

She was preceded in death by her husband Dean, her infant son Steven Dobbs and her brother Kenneth Sutten and many adored aunts and uncles.

A service will be held later. She will be laid to rest next to Dean at Prairie View Cemetery, Gilman, Iowa.

The family would like to thank the staff in the ICU at Aurora Medical Center in Grafton for the attention and care that they provided for her and the family during this time.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Barbara's name to the Newburg Alumni Scholarship Fund through the Greater Poweshiek Community Foundation, https://greaterpcf.org.