Barbara Carlsen

Barbara Ward Carlsen, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, and friend, passed peacefully from this life on May 28, 2026, at the age of 90, surrounded by the comfort of her home and the love of her family in Pocatello, Idaho.

Barbara was born on February 2, 1936, in Pocatello, Idaho, to Owen K. Ward and Opal Luella Miles Ward. Though her family roots were in Tyhee, Idaho, Barbara was raised in Pocatello, the community she would lovingly call home throughout her life.

She graduated from Pocatello High School and later attended Idaho State Technical College, where she received secretarial training. Early in life she worked part-time for attorney F.M. Bistline. Barbara often shared that she had once dreamed of becoming an archaeologist and wished she could have continued her education further. Even so, she found her life’s greatest purpose and fulfillment in her family. She considered her highest honor and deepest joy to be her five children, each of whom pursued higher education, achieved professional success, and remained close in love, faith, and family values because of the foundation she and Gary created together.

On August 30, 1956, Barbara married the love of her life, Gary H Carlsen, in the Idaho Falls Temple. Together they built a home centered on faith, hard work, devotion, and enduring love. Their marriage was a sacred partnership and a lasting example to their family.

Barbara was a devoted member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and served faithfully in many callings throughout her life. She served in both the Stake Primary Presidency and the Stake Relief Society Presidency, along with numerous other positions serving children, youth, and women of the Church. Her quiet testimony, compassionate heart, and willing service blessed countless lives. She also devoted many volunteer hours to the Family History Center in Pocatello, where she lovingly helped others discover and preserve their family heritage.

Barbara found beauty and joy in life’s simple and creative pursuits. She loved dancing, art and coloring, sewing, gardening projects, and reading good books. She possessed a gentle spirit, a quick and thoughtful mind, and a deep love for her family that was felt by all who knew her.

She is survived by her loving husband, Gary H Carlsen; her children Ginette and Whitney Manwaring, Denise Humphreys, Brett and Lisa Carlsen, Gregory and Christy Carlsen, and Jeffrey and Jodi Carlsen; 19 grandchildren; and 29 great-grandchildren. She is also survived by her sister, Geraldine Bloom, and brother-in-law Michael Bloom.

Barbara was preceded in death by her parents, Owen and Opal Ward; her stillborn daughter, Ann Marie; and her beloved great-grandchild, Crimson Anderson.

Barbara’s legacy lives on in the faith she nurtured, the family she cherished, and the countless acts of kindness and service she quietly rendered throughout her life. Her family finds comfort in the knowledge that families are eternal and that her loving influence will continue through generations to come.

She will be deeply missed and forever remembered with love.

A funeral service will be held at 11:00 am on Wednesday, June 3, 2026, at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 3444 Hawthorne Road, Pocatello, ID. Viewings will be from 6:30 – 8:30 pm on Tuesday, June 2 at Wilks Funeral Home, 211 W Chubbuck Rd, Chubbuck, ID and prior to the service on Wednesday at the church, beginning at 10:00 am. Burial will follow at Restlawn Memorial Gardens, 2864 S 5th Avenue, Pocatello, ID.

Memories and condolences may be shared by visiting the Guestbook below.