Barbara Klopfenstein Nussbaum King, age 90, a resident of Windsor Park in Carol Stream, IL, died on September 19, 2026. As a young girl, she put her faith and trust in Jesus and spent her life as a doer of His word and is now in the presence of her Savior.

She was born April 15, 1936, in Flint, Michigan, to Rev. Joseph and Mary Klopfenstein. She spent her early years in Flint, Detroit, and Elkton, Michigan, then moved to Peoria, Illinois for her junior high and early high school years. The family then moved to Berne, Indiana, where she attended Berne–French Township High School, graduating in 1954.

She graduated from the Fort Wayne Lutheran Hospital School of Nursing in 1957, serving as the class president while there. She married Jack D. Nussbaum on March 30, 1957, in Berne, Indiana. The couple moved to Columbus, Indiana, where Jack taught at Columbus High School and Barbara was a nurse. She spent most of her nursing career working in the obstetrics department at the Columbus Regional Hospital until she retired in 2001.

She had five sons, all born in Columbus, and over the years attended hundreds of their athletic events. She put all her heart into her role as a wife, mother, and nurse. She was a servant to all she encountered. It was never about her. When interviewed at her sons’ high school church youth group function and asked why she chose nursing as a vocation, she answered simply, “I just wanted to help people.” While that answer could have sounded cliché to some, her sons know how true that answer is, given they have seen her do that every day of her life.

She was a great example to her 5 sons and later to her 23 grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren. They never saw her argue or complain or say a negative word about anyone. Her calm, steady presence reflected a life of tireless service. Slow to speak and quick to listen, she was steadfast in her faith. She was the picture of the godly woman described in Proverbs 31. “Strength and dignity are her clothing…she opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue… she looks well to the ways of her household… her children rise up and call her blessed… a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.” She loved and feared God all the days of her life and taught her sons to do that as well. She loved to read and study the Bible, and for several years drove 40 minutes weekly to attend a Bible Study Fellowship study. She had a beautiful alto voice and loved to sing at church.

She encouraged her sons to do well in school and expected nothing less than their best effort. With the little free time she had, she enjoyed doing needlepoint and cross-stitch and made a blanket for each of her grandchildren, presenting it to them when they graduated from high school. She was a lifelong prayer supporter of missionaries all over the world and chose to go without many things so she could financially support them. A joy in retirement was her opportunity to visit some of these missionaries around the world, including trips to Haiti, China, Kenya, South Africa, and the Czech Republic.

She was married to her first husband Jack for 27 years until he died in 1984. She remarried in 1988 and is survived by her husband of 38 years, Wayne King of Carol Stream, IL (formerly of Franklin and Columbus, IN); her Nussbaum sons and their families: Andy (Wendy) of Naperville, IL, and their 7 children: Amy, Jess, Carly (James Kempf), Joe (Bree), Christian (Hannah), Daniel, and Aaron; Tim (Brenda) of Greenwood, IN, and their 4 children: James (Emily), Julie Helm (Noah), Abby Morris (Nick), and Kara; Matt (Kathie) of Bloomington, IN, and their 4 children: Gretchen, Mark (Anne), Allison Fadden (Jayme), and David; Phil (Judy) of Wheaton, IL, and their 4 children: Libby Newton (Steve), Mary, Jack (Jordan), and Anna; Tom (Barb) of Wheaton, IL, and their 4 children: Katie, Ben (Emma), Claire, and Jake (Lexie); her 17 great-grandchildren; her brother David (Dotty) Klopfenstein of Muskegon, MI; her stepchildren Cheryl (Sam) Kaywood of Johns Creek, GA, and Barry (Ann) King of Nineveh, IN; 8 step-grandchildren; and 16 nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, her sister Carolyn (the late Jim) Johnson, her brother Gordon (the late Ruth & the late Ethel) Klopfenstein, and her stepdaughter, Tammie King.

A private burial will be held at the MRE Cemetery in Berne, IN, on Thursday, October 1, at 2 PM. A visitation will be held at College Church, 332 E. Seminary Ave., Wheaton, IL 60187, on October 4, 2026, at 1:30 PM, with a memorial service to follow there at 3 PM (Livestream). A memorial visitation will also be held in Columbus, IN, on October 25 from 12:30 PM to 2:30 PM, at the Bible Church of Columbus, 3010 10th St., Columbus, IN 47201.

Memorial gifts may be directed to a Christian radio and digital media ministry in Haiti that she supported for many years: 4VEH, PO Box 1931, Columbus, IN 47202, USA or Give to 4VEH.

Family and friends may sign a guest book at hultgrenfh.com. For more information, please call Hultgren Funeral Home at 630-668-0027.