Barbara Chrisman, age 82, left this world on April 21, 2026, at Edgewood Memory Care in Spearfish. Barbara was born to Virgie (Montgomery) and Vern Abney on October 10, 1943, in Sedalia, Missouri. She was the fourth of six children, including four brothers and a sister. She attended the Sedalia Public School System and graduated from Smith-Cotton High School. She attended Central Missouri State University (now University of Central Missouri) where she earned her Bachelor of Science in Education. At UCM, she was a member of the Alpha Omicron Pi sorority. It was at UCM in 1964 that she met Riley. They married in 1966 and their son Joe was born in 1972. She taught fifth grade in Grandview, Missouri for five years before earning her graduate degree in Library Science. From 1969 to 1979, she held a faculty position as Science Librarian at the University of Central Missouri. After the family moved to Spearfish, South Dakota in 1979, she served on the faculty of Black Hills State University as the Reference Librarian for 26 years.

At BHSU, she served on many committees, the Faculty Senate, and as a member of COHE (Council on Higher Education). In 2005, she received the University Service Award for her service to students, faculty, and the University. She was an active member of state, regional, and national library associations. In the community, she was a member of the American Association of University Women, Delta Kappa Gamma, and P.E.O. She was active in her church and for many years she prepared the projections for the services.

She retired in 2005. She loved to travel and to search for antiques. In retirement, she and Riley traveled extensively in the United States, Canada, and Iceland. A number of those excursions were with either her sister and brother-in-law Shirley and Cecil Sanders of Independence, Missouri, or with good friends Judy and Lennis Larson of Spearfish.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her brother Bob Abney, sister-in-law Shirley Abney, and brother-in-law Cecil Sanders. She is survived by her husband, son Joe of Madison, Wisconsin; sister Shirley Sanders; brothers Larry (Jean) of Wentzville, Missouri, Gerald of Sedalia, and Richard (Janice) of Hughesville, Missouri; and sister-in-law Jane (Bob) Roach of Boonville, Missouri. She is also survived by many other special family members and friends, including Tim Abney, Dan Abney, Mark Abney, Diann Sanders, Deanna Zizza, Elliot Schulz, and Lennis Larson.

The family thanks the management and staff of Edgewood Memory Care and Stillwater Hospice for the love and care they gave Barbara.

In lieu of flowers, her family suggests donations to either the Spearfish United Methodist Church or P.E.O. Chapter N.

Visitation will be one hour prior to the service. Memorial services will be held at 11:00AM, Tuesday, April 28, 2026, at United Methodist Church in Spearfish. Burial will follow the service at Rose Hill Cemetery

Arrangements are under the care of Fidler-Isburg Funeral Chapel & Isburg Crematory of Spearfish. Online condolences may be written to https://www.fidler-isburgfuneralchapels.com/?fh_id=13327