Barbara Rose (Cole) Morehead

Barbara Rose Morehead, 99, of Kokomo, Indiana, passed away peacefully on February 22, 2026.

Born Barbara Rose Cole on February 13, 1927, in Lagro, Indiana, she was the daughter of Dee “Dick” Cole and Mary Emmaline (Fields) Cole. She graduated from Tipton High School in 1945 and, during World War II, contributed to the war effort as a “Rosie the Riveter,” working in a canning factory.

On December 21, 1945, she married the love of her life, Kenneth Eugene Morehead, at Arcadia Christian Church. Their marriage spanned more than 70 years and was defined by steadfast devotion to one another, to their faith, to their country, and to their family and community. Together, they truly never met a stranger.

Barbara worked as a manager at the Kokomo Racquetball Club and later managed the Berkley Square and Royal Orleans apartment communities in Kokomo. In addition to their years in Indiana, Barbara spent a treasured season of life in Julian, California, serving as a park ranger at Lake Cuyamaca.

A longtime member of Southside Christian Church, Barbara was active in her community. She volunteered with the Cheer Guild at St. Joseph Hospital and was a strong advocate for veterans, supporting the Kokomo Marine Corps League and its Toys for Tots campaigns. As a breast cancer survivor, she embodied resilience and hope, faithfully participating in Relay For Life for many years to advocate for research, support fellow survivors, and honor lives impacted by cancer.

Barbara was a Hoosier through and through. She was fiercely passionate about sports and a devoted fan of the Colts, Pacers, Fever, Indiana University, and Notre Dame athletics. You could reliably find her watching IU basketball, and most recently she followed IU Men’s Football’s march toward a national championship with pride and enthusiasm. Beyond sports, she loved musicals and had a particular fondness for classic black-and-white films.

Barbara is survived by her children, Michael Morehead, Marcia (David) Switzer Dight, Mark Morehead, Marty (Eveline) Morehead; grandchildren, Joe (Karen) Switzer, Steve Morehead, Tim Switzer, Dana Morehead, Shawn (Tricia) Wright, Markita Morehead, Katie Davenport (Daley Jason), and Chris (Michael Martens) Morehead; 14 great-grandchildren, and 7 great-great-grandchildren.

Barbara was preceded in death by her husband of 70 years, Kenneth E. Morehead and parents, Dick Cole and Mary Cole-Guilkey; daughter-in-law, Kitty Morehead; her brothers and sisters, and grandson, Thomas Morehead.

Throughout her life, Barbara carried an unwavering love of country and community. Her patriotism was not performative; it was practiced — steady, vocal, and without apology. She believed deeply in civic responsibility and in the duty each person has to stand for something larger than themselves.

She valued hard work, loyalty, and family, and she lived those convictions as faithfully as she knew how for nearly a century. She was not a quiet presence in this world. She did not dim herself. She showed up fully… with strength, with opinion, with heart.

And now, in her absence, the silence feels different.

A voice that once carried across front porches and family rooms is still. A laugh that once filled space so easily now echoes in memory. The light she brought into every room does not simply disappear… it lingers in the lives she shaped, the pride she instilled, and the generations who stand because she stood first.

Her presence was unmistakable.

And so is the space she leaves behind.

The family would like to extend their deepest gratitude to Martha (Mark) Fisher, Liz Denman, Sara Roseberry, Pete and Cathy Miller, Cindy Jane Boettjer, Jim Lau, and the remarkable Twyckingham Lane neighborhood family of 64 years especially Maggie, Barb, Debbie, and the many neighbors and friends who became family along the way. Your steady presence, your countless kindnesses, your meals, your visits, your laughter, and your watchful care did not go unnoticed.

To the many friends near and far, too numerous to name but never forgotten, thank you. Thank you for the conversations on porches and in living rooms, for the holidays shared, the rides given, the cards sent, the prayers offered, and the loyalty shown. You were woven into the fabric of her life, and in loving her, you strengthened ours.

When one lives to be 99, a lifetime of friendships is the natural result. Barbara gathered more than her share. Though far too many to list individually, each one added meaning to her long and well-lived story. Our family carries profound gratitude for the community that surrounded her with care until the very end.

Visitation will be held from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 28, 2026, at Shirley & Stout Funeral Home, 1315 W. Lincoln Road, Kokomo, IN 46902.

A funeral service celebrating Barbara’s life will immediately follow at 3:00 p.m., with Pastor Becky Sundquist officiating. Private burial will take place at 11:00 am on Monday, March 2, 2026 at Marion National Cemetery, 1700 East 38th Street Marion, Indiana 46952.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Marine Corps League – Toys for Tots, P.O. Box 2143, Kokomo, IN 46904-2143, or to Southside Christian Church, 201 E. Markland Avenue, Kokomo, IN 46901. Messages of condolence may be shared at www.shirleyandstout.com

To send flowers to the family, please visit our floral store.