Rapid City – Barbara L. Smolarek, 80, died peacefully at home Thursday, May 24, 2018 of lung cancer.

Barb was born in Humbolt, Iowa to Lowell and Sylvia [Anderson] Knutson and raised in Tipton, Iowa. Barb married at a young age to Sgt. Oscar Barkhurst. To this union Jennifer and Noni were born. Barb traveled the world with her husband's career. After Vietnam, Barb divorced and began the next chapter. She moved to Chicago, IL to be with family. Family was her life.

Barb married Mitchell Smolarek in 1978. They were married for 25 years. They moved to Rapid City in 1987 to be close to her daughters. In 1996 they adopted their daughter, Tori Louise.

For 38 years Barb reigned as Grandma supreme and catered to all of them. She loved reading, Food Network, and the Golden Phoenix. She was famous for being the family cook. She could whip up a whole Thanksgiving style dinner on a random Tuesday. Enough for all – pie included. There was rarely an event where Barb didn't prepare way more food than was assigned to her and usually better than anyone else's.

Her grandkids and great-grandkids were often at her home, eating her food, "shopping" in her pantry, and sampling her sweets. Barb loved candies and had a huge sweet-tooth.

Happy to have shared in her life are daughters: Jennifer [Richard] Rossum and Tori Smolarek; grandchildren: Carmen Ryan, Teresa Leite, Katie Rossum, Paul Rossum, Becky Wright, Landon and Lily and Lyla Kirkpatrick; and great-grandchildren: Mackinzie Ryan, Haileigh and Hayden Wurtz, Benjamin Rossum Wright, and Olivia and Eliana Leite.

She was preceded in death by her parents, daughter Noni Rossum, both husbands, two brothers: Jim Torkelson and Louie Knutson, and two sisters: Jean Burger and Audrey Aho.

Visitation will be 5:00 – 7:00 pm Tuesday, May 29 Osheim & Schmidt Funeral Home.

Christian Funeral Mass will be 10:00 am Wednesday, May 30 at Blessed Sacrament Church.

Burial will follow at Pine Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery.