Barbara Louise (Pike) Hruza, age 82, of Aurora, passed away Thursday, October 8, 2026, at Westfield Quality Care in Aurora.
A Celebration of Life Luncheon will be held on Saturday, October 24 at Aurora United Methodist Church. Join us anytime between 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Bring your favorite memories of Barb to share. At noon, Pastor Michelle Reed will share scripture and prayer. There will be no graveside service.
In lieu of gifts and flowers, please send memorials to Westfield Quality Care of Aurora, 1313 1st Street, Aurora, NE 68818, 402-617-2128. Condolences for the family may be shared through the Higby-McQuiston Mortuary website (higbymortuary.com).
Barbara Louise (Pike) Hruza, age 82, passed away on October 8, 2026, at Westfield Quality Care in Aurora. She courageously battled dementia with Lewy bodies for the past 5 years. Barb was born to Francis Oliver Pike and Helen Marie (McMillian) Pike, in Parsons, Kansas on October 2, 1944.
Barb grew up in Lincoln and was the fourth of five sisters: Alice, Laurice, Mary Sue, and Betsy Jo. She graduated from Southeast High School in 1962. Barb was married in Lincoln to James Leroy Hruza on September 1, 1965. She was immensely proud to be married to a Nebraska State Patrolman. Before meeting Jim, Barb had a son who was placed for adoption. Jim and Barb had two daughters, Emily and Laurie.
Barb was employed by the Aurora Medical Clinic for over 20 years. She also worked at the Hamilton Relay for five years. Barb was a member of the Aurora United Methodist Church for more than 55 years. Twenty years ago, she started a group called “The Yarn Spinners” to teach crochet and knitting, and it soon turned into making prayer shawls for those in the community for various reasons, i.e. graduating seniors and confirmands. Today, the group makes lap blankets for hospice patients. She never went anywhere without a ball of yarn and a crochet hook.
Barb was preceded in death by her parents, husband Jim, sisters Alice, Laurice, and Mary Sue.
Those left behind to cherish her memory are sister, Betsy Jo Hall; three children, George (Stacy) Miller of IL, Emily Hruza of FL, and Laurie Hruza-Christian (Brandon) of AZ; six grandchildren, (George) Erica and Nathan, (Emily) Sarah, Hannah, Noah, and Samuel; and 5 great-grandchildren.