Keith A Barrow

Keith A. Barrow caught the 12:35 p.m. ‘Train to Glory’ on Tuesday, April 29th, 2014, five days before his 88th birthday. Keith’s wife of 62 years, Elizabeth, his 3 daughters, Terri Schrater, Nancy Hampton, and Lois Stentz, his son-in-law Dan Stentz and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren were on hand to see him off.

Keith was born in Grants Pass, Oregon to Floyd and Opal Cook Barrow who were themselves Grants Pass area natives. His parents struggled many years at numerous odd jobs, including making and selling moonshine whiskey during the Prohibition. They divorced when he was young and he lived a transitory life for most of his childhood years - a pattern he carried throughout most of his life. He moved to his father’s home in Chico, CA and attended Chico High School as a Senior, playing football as first-string quarterback, and attended Modesto Junior College after graduation.. As his father was a logger, Keith did a fair amount of tent living in logging camps while his father worked.

Keith married his High School sweetheart, Jean Detrich, the day before he was drafted into the U.S. Army Air Corps during WWII. He was discharged when his son David was born in 1945 and received his discharge orders as he was about to board the train that would eventually take him to Japan. After his discharge, Keith attended Chico State College where he bartended and played college football, earning his Bachelors Degree in Business Administration. Jean and Keith eventually divorced.

In 1952 Keith married Elizabeth Allard of Willows, CA and they had 3 daughters. He was employed with Household Finance Corporation for twelve years where he was assigned to offices in Oakland, Sacramento, Stockton, San Francisco, and San Mateo. Keith moved his family into a new neighborhood with each job transfer.

In 1968, Keith and his friend Dick Sanders began a piggy-back shipping business, with offices in San Francisco and Oakland, where Keith worked for 13 years.

In 1980, while living on the Sacramento Delta on Bethel Island, CA, Keith nearly drowned while trying to save the survivors of a boating accident. This life changing experience was the catalyst for Keith hearing the call of God. He soon sold his business and home and moved to Eureka, CA to join Gospel Outreach, a Christian Ministry that all three of his daughters were involved with. Keith became an ordained minister and elder in his church where he and Elizabeth counseled individuals and couples for over 20 years.

Keith’s lifetime hobbies, pursuits, and passions were numerous and included football, track, tennis, skiing, camping, gardening (eventually receiving his Master Gardener Certification), landscaping, woodworking, long drives, and RVing; he was a small acreage rancher raising cows, horses, pigs, goats, chickens, rabbits, and pheasants; he loved boating, traveling, hunting, fishing and was a small aircraft pilot. Keith was a successful entrepreneur and started many small businesses during his lifetime. He was a gourmet cook and ‘King of the BBQ’ - feeding friends and family was one of the greatest joys of his life.

In 1998, Keith and Elizabeth moved back to the Grants Pass area, living in Rogue River for a time (more goats and chickens), then moving into Grants Pass, the land of his birth. During these semi-retirement years, Keith and Elizabeth continued to offer marriage and personal counseling to numerous couples and individuals who appreciated their hospitality, wisdom and pastoral hearts.

Keith Barrow was a remarkable and charismatic man who met very few people he didn’t call friend. Keith was preceded in death by his parents Floyd Barrow and Opal Gilchrist, his sister Lois, his son-in-law Stephen Schrater, and his step-mother Carol Barrow. He is survived by his wife, Elizabeth of Grants Pass, OR, son David Barrow and wife Nancy of Chico, CA, daughters Terri Schrater of Vancouver, WA, Nancy Hampton of Eureka, CA, Lois Stentz and husband Dan of Brea, CA and 14 grandchildren: Angie Kistner, Ryan Barrow, Mike Barrow, Jesse Schrater, Rebecca Kirsch, Peter Schrater, Joseph Schrater, Emily Knox, Nick Land, Daniel Hampton, Sean Stentz, Joel Stentz, Annie Stentz, and Chris Stentz, as well as 24 great-grandchildren and 1 great-great-grandchild.

The family would like to thank the wonderful staff at the Three Rivers Medical Center Intensive Care for their kindness and compassion during the days of Keith’s stay.

The placing of Keith’s ashes at the Missouri Flat Cemetery will be followed by a potluck picnic celebration of Keith’s life on Sunday, June 1st, 2014 at Riverside Park from 2:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Meat and beverages will be served. All friends and family of Keith Barrow are invited to attend.
Hull & Hull Funeral Directors are in charge of arrangements.