Barbara A. Wahl, 72, of Searsboro, passed away Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025, at Montezuma Specialty Care. A visitation will be held at 10 a.m., Friday, Dec. 5, 2025, at Smith Funeral Home in Grinnell. A funeral service will be held immediately following the visitation, at 11 a.m. at Smith Funeral Home. Burial at Liberty Ridge Cemetery outside Lancaster, WI, is pending at this time. Memorials may be made payable to Mercy Medical Center Attention: Especially for You, mailed in c/o Smith Funeral Home, PO Box 368, Grinnell, IA 50112 or online, https://runsignup.com/Race-/Donate/IA/CedarRapids/EspeciallyforYourRaceAgainstBreastCancer.
Barbara was born Jan. 23, 1953, at Lancaster Hospital in Wisconsin, to Frank and June (Wolf) Zart. She was raised on a few farms around southwestern Wisconsin. She attended Iowa Grand High School and graduated with the Class of 1971.
Dec. 29, 1979, Barbara was united in marriage to William Brown. They were married for 10 years before his passing in 1989. Apr. 10, 2000, Barb was united in marriage to Jerry Wahl in Liberty Ridge, WI.
Barbara started her professional career at Pamida in Platesville, WI, before transferring to the Pamida warehouse in Grinnell that she managed. She then took a job in maintenance for the Iowa DOT where she was employed for over 28 years before her retirement in 2008.
Barbara had a special relationship with her stepdaughter Faith Veld. She enjoyed sewing, mending, watching westerns, cooking, baking pies and cakes, and maintaining her yard. She was a longtime member of the Methodist Church.
Barbara is survived by her stepdaughter Faith (David) Veld of LeGrand; her siblings Jack (Donna) Zart of Plateville, WI, Mark Zart of Dodgeville, WI, Carol Yoose of Lancaster, WI, Debbie (Charles Bonjour) Weber of Monroe, WI, Jill Bemis Zart of Mineral Point, WI, Lori (Bill) Bowman of Junesville, WI, Sally Williams of Plateville, WI, and Julie (Mark McGuire) Mitchell of Highland, WI.
She was preceded by her first husband William, her parents, her sisters Lisa Zart, Betty Zart, and Linda Peters; her brothers-in-law Harry Williams and Steve Yoose; and her nephews Benjimin Bowman and Augustus “Gus” Mitchell.
