Barbara was born in Springfield, MO, the daughter of Leo E. Spradling and Dorothy Miller Spradling.  Barbara had the rare experience of attending school with the same group of students from Kindergarten to graduation at Greenwood Laboratory School attached to the Teaching Department of Southwest Missouri State College (SMS).  Upon graduation she herself then attended Southwest Missouri State College.  Although the plan was to attend until graduation, she received a proposal by mail from Harold Call, her high school sweetheart, who had been drafted into the Army, which had taken him to Salzburg, Austria.  She accepted and they were actually wed twice, via military and church ceremonies. Until their wedding, Barbara often shared that she lived in housing in town and he visited her and that one time the landlady asked why Barbara's husband didn't stay with her and she explained that they were not yet wed and it just wouldn't be right.

After returning to the United States and subsequently leaving military service, they resided in Wichita, and then Kansas City, KS, and then back to Springfield, Missouri, to be near both of their parents.  Everywhere she lived she was soon to make many friends and maintained many of those friendships for life; including places such as Ann Arbor, MI, Kingsport, TN, and Overland Park, KS.  She was a devoted wife and mother supporting her family's upbringing and attending their various activities.  No surprise, she also was the official Welcome Committee receiving multiple forms of gratitude for hosting numerous events to welcome new friends.  Through the years she held secretarial positions both at their churches and local community businesses.  After her children were grown she began working for Georgia Tech in Atlanta, during which time she held a Secret Security Clearance while working as an Administrative Secretary, for which she received numerous letters, commendations, and recommendations for performance.

Barbara was an avid sports enthusiast and a life-long St. Louis Cardinals baseball fan, which she came by naturally due to her dad's job as a coach at SMS.  Even in recent years she often tried to enjoy every game she could, and could often be overheard shouting her own coaching directions to the radio or TV.

Barbara leaves behind three sons, Mark Call and his wife Linda of San Luis, CO; Mike Call and his wife Sandy of Springfield, MO; and William Call and his wife Rosemarie of Kingsport, TN; and five grandchildren and three great grandchildren.  She also leaves a younger sister Sandy Jennings of Chesterton, IN and brother-in-law Malcolm Call of Gainesville, FL; and many close friends.

Everyone loved Barbara and she will be sorely missed by friends and family.  Visitation will be between 9 a.m. and 10 a.m. on Monday, January 4 ^th , 2021 at Gorman-Scharpf Funeral Home. Private burial will be held in Missouri Veterans Cemetery.  In lieu of flowers, please donate to a favorite charity with a gift in her memory.  That might also include her son Mark's ministry in Colorado, Shabbat Shalom Mesa Fellowship (which she and late husband Harold attended while living out there and also via internet services thereafter), and/or hospice, who provide a thankless service.