Barbara Versluis

Barbara Ann Moore Versluis came into the world on April 22, 1932 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Born to a young artist, Bobby Moore, and an aspiring showgirl dancer, Irene Preusse, she was destined for a creative, independently-minded journey in her life.

Raised by her German immigrant grandparents, a concert violinist grandfather and a Paris-boarding-school-educated grandmother, there was no doubt Barbara would create her own unique path in life. She was taken in by her Grandparents as her father was killed in a tragic car accident when she was three years old. Her first language was German.

Obsessed with horses from a young age, Barbara would continue a fascination with and dedication to equines her entire life. Her interest in horses shaped her life.

She met her future husband, Jim Versluis (Andrew James) because she boarded her horse at his family’s farm down the road. Barb and Jim spent hours trail riding their horses, Buck and Ike, racing them down the then-quiet country roads. Both were dare-devils on horseback, and each accomplished riders.

Understanding the importance of education and excelling scholastically, Barbara graduated early from high school at the age of 16 (Mount Mercy Academy in Grand Rapids, MI). Earning awards for her artistic and creative works, she went on to study at Kendall College of Art and Design. Ultimately, she obtained her degree in Education from Calvin College.

In 1954, Barb and Jim got married, and Barbara began her teaching career in Lowell, Michigan where she taught elementary school while Jim pursued graduate studies at Michigan State University.

Upon his graduation, Jim secured a job as a teacher and principal on the north side of Grand Rapids. This allowed Barb and Jim to buy 10 acres, a barn, and a small cottage located a stone’s throw from each of their child hood homes. It was a pastoral, idyllic setting.

There, they built a beautiful life and home together, nestled between the properties each had grown up on as neighbors.

The Versluis Orchard farm played an important role in their lives, where Jim worked in the orchards when his job with the school system allowed, and where Barbara could exercise her creative mind, raise their three children, and ride her beloved horses.

Her life as a young mother revolved around her three children, Arthur, Kay, and Mariel. She taught them to ride horses and ponies as early as they could sit up as infants, instilling confidence, athleticism, compassion, and respect for all animals, particularly horses.

Her dedication as a mother was unsurpassed, in large part because she wanted her children to have the loving, safe, healthy, and vibrant childhood she, herself, had not experienced. Barbara spent countless hours giving her children horseback riding lessons, preparing and taking them to horse shows, and teaching them all facets of horse care. Summer evenings were spent as a family, everyone riding their own horse or pony on trails together throughout the family orchards. She ensured her children’s lives were rich in experience and full of adventure.

Barb was a very disciplined and enthusiastic equestrian. She not only trail rode her horses religiously, but she also participated in Dressage and Hunter Jumper events. She trained her own horses and enjoyed competing with them. She even completed a two day 60-mile competitive trail ride, though her ride ended up being longer due to a wrong turn. Barb understood the value of a true partnership with a horse. Her strong emotional connections with her horses added a very meaningful dimension to her life.

She took food very seriously. Being raised during the Depression gave her a relationship with food that was rooted in not having enough as a child. Every supper Barb prepared throughout her adult life included a salad, a vegetable, carbohydrates, meat, and a dessert. She loved a good meal, and her appetite was astonishing given her small size. She never skipped breakfast, lunch, or dinner. She was an accomplished gardener, and coaxed a variety of vegetables from her gardens, even in New Mexico. She loved fresh vegetables.

When her children completed college and were on their own life and career paths, Barb fulfilled a long-time dream and headed to New Mexico. After many years admiring the work and life of artist Georgia O’Keeffe, Barbara purchased land near Magdalena, New Mexico and began building a home, art studio, gallery, and a place for her horses.

Once Barb moved to New Mexico, she was truly in her element. The dry air, the long views of the magical landscape, and possibilities of seemingly endless horse trail rides captivated her. She and Jim began a new chapter in their lives, and while perhaps unconventional to some, their marriage was strengthened. Jim joined her in New Mexico from mid-autumn to late spring, then he would return to his fruit farm in Michigan for the summer. Their partnership was rich in the shared experience of the desert and mountains of New Mexico.

Barbara’s days in the Southwest were filled with creating paintings and ceramics in addition to running her gallery. When she wasn’t making art or learning new skills such as metalsmithing through taking classes at New Mexico Tech University, Barb could be found walking her beloved dogs (inevitably strays she adopted) and riding her horses. She found peace and happiness in New Mexico.

Faced with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma twice, first in her late 60’s and then again in her 70’s, Barbara overcame the disease. She was a fierce survivor.

Barbara was an active member of the Magdalena community in New Mexico, hosting potlucks and music nights at her gallery. She was involved in the arts council and cultivated new and meaningful friendships. She was outspoken and assertive about her viewpoints, and valued her New Mexican friends very much.

Living in New Mexico also brought her closer to her sister, Cecilia Jacobsen, who lived in Denver. Not only was she physically closer to her sister, but they deepened their bond. Barbara’s love for her sisters, especially Cecilia and her family, was enormously important to her.

As Barbara aged, she maintained a stubborn independence. She lived in New Mexico almost thirty years. While she didn’t necessarily want to move back to Michigan, her declining health forced her to return to her home state.

At the age of 91, Barb, her little chihuahua mix dog Skeeter, and her horse, Gus, moved in with her daughter, Kay, and her son-in-law, John. While she was unable to ride her horse, she still maintained a determination that she could ride if she could just get on. She had to settle for watching Gus graze just out her window, but that was enough.

Barb was engaged with monitoring politics on a daily basis while living with Kay and John. She never held back on sharing her observations and consistently watched the news. She was always informed, always educated, and always outspoken. Neither her intelligence nor her excellent sense of humor waned as she aged.

Barbara will be profoundly missed by her family and friends. While small in stature, she had a big personality. Forthright, true to her convictions, grounded in her beliefs, and possessing a sharp wit, Barbara created an amazing life for herself and those around her. She will be missed very much.

Versluis, Barbara Ann, age 92, loving mother, grandmother and avid equestrian, passed away on Monday, March 31, 2025. She was born on April 22,1932 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, to the late Robert and Irene [Preusse] Moore.

Along with her parents, Barbara is preceded in death by her husband of 62 years, Andrew James (Jim) who passed in 2016, as well as by her sisters Patricia Clark and Cecilia Jacobsen.

She will be deeply missed by her children, Arthur Versluis, Kay (John) Kelly, and Mariel Versluis, (Ben Mitchell); and her grandchildren, Clover and Conor Kelly, and many other relatives in the extended family and her friends.

Private, family Graveside Services will be held on Monday, April 7th at Rosedale Memorial Park Cemetery where Barb will be laid to rest next to her husband.

For those who wish, memorial contributions to New Mexico Horse Rescue at Walkin N Circles Ranch, Inc.https://www.wncr.org are suggested. To sign her guestbook or share a memory, please visit www.heritagelifestory.com