Barbara Maher

Barbara Jeanne (Smith) Maher, 76, of Browns Valley, Minnesota, passed away peacefully on Sunday, June 28, 2026, at the Browns Valley Health Center. A private family gathering and the scattering of her ashes will take place on the hill overlooking Lake Traverse at the Smith family farm where she was born and raised.

Barbara was born on August 14, 1949, in Graceville, Minnesota, to James Secord Smith and Laura Catherine "Katie" (Bourland) Smith. She grew up on the family farm north of Browns Valley overlooking Lake Traverse, where she developed a lifelong love of nature, animals, and family. Childhood memories included swimming in Lake Traverse, ice skating in the winter, caring for pet lambs and countless cats, and spending summers outdoors with her siblings, Larry, Janet, and Gary.

She graduated from Browns Valley High School in 1967, where she played the flute in the concert, marching, and pep bands and also studied piano. In August 1969, Barbara married Dennis Maher at St. Anthony's Catholic Church in Browns Valley, Minnesota, and together they welcomed three children: Jennifer, Jonathan, and Patrick. They made their homes in Corona, Big Stone City, and Milbank, South Dakota, before Barbara and her children moved to Aberdeen, South Dakota, in 1985.

Barbara's determination and work ethic defined much of her life. While raising her family, she worked the night shift at Econofoods while attending Northern State University during the day. She earned both her bachelor's degree and her Master of Business Administration before settling into a career teaching computer science at Northwest Iowa Community College in Sheldon, Iowa.

Barbara was a lifelong learner with an adventurous spirit. Later in life, she fulfilled a dream by earning her pilot's license and learning to fly both a small airplane and a small cargo plane. She was exceptionally talented with her hands, enjoying cooking, baking, sewing, crocheting, and making many of her own clothes, including her own prom dresses. She loved bowling, playing pinochle with friends, decorating for Christmas, listening to country music, and solving puzzles. She also had a lifelong affection for animals, especially cats, and treasured her beloved African Grey parrot, Boo, whose remarkable personality brought her years of laughter and companionship.

Above all else, Barbara was devoted to her family. She found great joy in attending her children's activities, celebrating their accomplishments, and watching her family grow. She often said that her greatest accomplishment was raising a wonderful family, and she took immense pride in seeing her children build fulfilling lives of their own. She was intelligent, resourceful, hardworking, and generous, always putting the needs of her children before her own. She believed in perseverance and often encouraged others to find a way to accomplish whatever they set out to do.

Barbara is lovingly survived by her children, Jennifer, Jonathan, and Patrick; many beloved grandchildren and great-grandchildren; her sister, Janet (Don) Kellen; her brother, Gary (Loretta) Smith; and many nieces, nephews, cousins, and dear friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents, James Secord Smith and Laura Catherine "Katie" Smith, and her brother, Larry Smith.

Barbara hoped to be remembered as someone who was smart, talented, hardworking, and who never gave up. Those who knew her will remember her quiet strength, determination, generosity, and unwavering love for her family. Her legacy lives on in the family she loved so deeply and the many lives she touched.