7/27/1956 – 9/22/2026
Lawrence
Kristen Ellen (Erickson) Barlow was born on July 27, 1956 to Delbert and Virginia Erickson in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She grew up with her sisters and brother in Rochester, NY, Sioux Falls, SD and then Omaha, NE. As a proud child of deaf adults, she and her siblings developed a special and often amusing set of skills for empathy and communication while bridging two cultures. Kris attended Omaha Burke High School where she spent most of her time in the jewelry studio. She graduated in May 1974.
She met the love of her life, Bruce Barlow, in the summer of 1973, and they began a great adventure together. After Kris’s graduation, they moved to Bruce’s hometown, Lawrence, Kansas, and Kris worked as a house mother for the Kansas School of the Deaf in Olathe, Kansas. Kris and Bruce married on September 27, 1975 and raised two children, Austin and Zoe. Kris studied art at KU, amd drafting at KCCC, which led to a long and successful drafting career and a life full of color and arts. Throughout her career and family life, she was a prolifically creative person, instantly obvious by her abundant and unique wardrobe. She and her mother-in-law, Margaret, shared a love of quilting, and Kris became skilled in long-arm quilting. In retirement, she developed a small business, providing long arm quilting in her own unique way.
Kris loved people and made new best friends with a childlike ease. She kissed every baby she met and loved children. She and Bruce have always been known for their generosity and kindness, hosting large potluck parties regularly and welcoming friends in need for long term stays. They welcomed folks as family, and Kris became mom/grandma to many. Kris was also actively involved in her community. She was a member of the Kaw Valley Quilt Guild, coordinated the Bizarre Bazaar for a number of years and also served as a board member for 100 Good Women.
Kris’s interests were broad – Reiki, herb study, cooking, gardening, all types of handcrafts and creative projects and an uncanny talent for color theory. Kris loved to see new places and new things and was always ready for an adventure, near or far. She loved a road trip with her girls or an escapade across the world to Glastonbury, Norway, Italy and anywhere the wanderlust called.
Kris breathed her last breath on the Autumnal equinox, September 22, 2026 at home in her studio, surrounded by family. She is survived by her husband, Bruce, their children Austin Barlow and Zoe Barlow, and grandchildren, Ebben and Ardis. Kris is also survived by her siblings, Cheri (and John) Balk, Dawn (and Peter) Sliskovich, and Ed Erickson, nieces, nephews, and great-nieces and nephews. Kris is also survived by the countless chosen family she accumulated over the years. She was a mother and grandmother to many. “K-Mom”, “K-gram”, “Gram”, “Gram Cracker” – her physical presence will be missed every day.
The family suggests that donations to honor Kris may be made to the Willow Domestic Violence Center, where her daughter found support and later a career, or 100 Good Women, with which she was involved in so many ways.
The family will host a potluck for friends and family on Saturday, October 17th at their home in memory of Kris. Folks are welcome to come by anytime after noon, and the potluck will take place around 2PM.
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