Barbara A. McKim

Barbara Ann McKim, age 88, of Goshen, passed away on April 6, 2026, at the Restoracy of Goshen. She was born on October 16, 1937, in Fort Wayne, Indiana to Bernard and Marie Kostielney. Barb was raised in South Bend and graduated from Riley High School. She spent much of her life caring for others, both at home and in her work. For more than twelve years, she worked as a nurse’s aide at Greencroft in Goshen, where her care and concern for her patience brought comfort to the residents and their families.

In May of 1976, Barb married Fred McKim in Elkhart. Together they shared more than twenty-one years of marriage and built a blended family that remained an important part of her life. Following Fred’s death in 1997, she continued forward while holding onto the memories they had made together.

At home, Barb found contentment in the routines of daily life. She enjoyed caring for her home and was especially fond of animals, with a love for dogs, cats, and horses. She spent several years volunteering at Loveway in Bristol, where she loved spending time with the horses and the people she served alongside. Time with her grandchildren was an important part of her life, and she cherished the time they spent together.

She is survived by her sons, Mark Candler of LaGrange, Indiana, Gaylord G. (Georgette Dumont) Candler Jr. of Jacksonville Beach, Florida, and Kevin Candler of Vandalia, Michigan; her special friend the past 25 years Bill Bachtel of Dunlap; her stepchildren, Jeannie Stump of Wakarusa, Indiana, Patricia Porter of Lebanon, Indiana, and Michael McKim of Muncie, Indiana; her grandchildren and step-grandchildren, Matthew Candler of Mishawaka, Siera Candler of San Diego, California, and Courtney Porter, Billy Porter, Susan Bollenbacher, Sarah Miller, David Miller and Sunny Hamlet; as well as 2 great grandchildren and 2 great-great grandchildren and her siblings, Thomas Kostielney of South Bend and Carolyn Baeder of Racine, Wisconsin. She was preceded in death by her husbands, Gaylord G. Candler Sr. and Fred McKim, and by her brother, Jack Kostielney.

Those who knew Barb will remember her for her quiet kindness, her steady nature, and the care she showed to the people and animals in her life.

A celebration of her life will be held on Saturday, May 30 at Mr. G's Restaurant & Lounge in Osceola from 2-6 pm. Cruz Family Funeral Home and Cremation Service of Osceola has been entrusted with her care.

To light a virtual candle, share a story of her life, or leave a message of comfort for her family, please follow the links provided on the Guestbook tab above.

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