NEW PALESTINE
Barbara A. Biersdorfer passed away April 13, 2023, at her home in New Palestine, surrounded by her family.
She was born Barbara Ann Elliott in Indianapolis on January 28, 1943, to Tom and Ruth (Sutter) Elliott. She was married for 52 years to John Ford Biersdorfer, with whom she had three children. Her husband and her parents preceded her in death.
Survivors include her two daughters, Judith Biersdorfer (Elizabeth Book) of New York City and Mary Armstrong (Robert J. Armstrong) of Minneapolis; her son, Tom Biersdorfer (Linda Przygodski) of New York City; and one granddaughter, Caitrin Armstrong. Barbara was a lifelong member of New Palestine Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and deeply cherished her church family. She was recently named an Elder Emeritus by the local and regional boards.
She worked as a substitute teacher for the Community School Corporation of Southern Hancock County in the 1970s and 1980s, before moving on to administrative jobs with Naval Avionics and the Defense Finance and Accounting Service in Indianapolis. She retired in 2009.
Education was always a big part of Barbara’s life and she began her own academic career at Abraham Lincoln #18 school on the south side of Indianapolis. In 1957, she and her parents moved to New Palestine, a town where she had deep roots in a county that her Elliott ancestors had come to the 1850s. Barbara attended New Palestine High School, where she was a class officer and played trumpet in the marching band. She graduated in 1961.
She enrolled at Indiana University in Bloomington and was a member of the Sigma Kappa sorority. During her first year at IU, she attended a street dance where she was matched up with John, an Air Force ROTC student majoring in radio and television. Barbara graduated from IU with a degree in Education and married John a week later in 1965.
Barbara was a proud resident of Indiana all her life — except for temporary stays in Texas and Alabama during her father’s World War II service with the United States Army Air Forces, and the 11 years she spent as the wife of an Air Force officer, with postings to air bases in California, Maryland and North Dakota.
Her hobbies included playing euchre and other card games, going to yard sales, reading, researching family history and taking memorable vacations. She loved Boston Terrier dogs, Broadway show tunes, playing “Jeopardy!” and dining on Swiss fondue. She was an exuberant fan of Indiana University sports (even the football team) and gave all three of her children the best gifts possible — lots of love, a solid Indiana University education and that Elliott sense of humor.
Visitation will be Wednesday, April 19, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., followed by the funeral service following directly at 1:00 p.m. at Erlewein Mortuary & Crematory, 1484 W US Hwy 40 in Greenfield.
