Yolo-San Diego County CA Obituary Project Obituaries.....MOORE , Barbara Ann (COVINGTON)  June 21 2004
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Peggy B. Perazzo pbperazzo@comcast.net July 8, 2004, 11:51 pm

"The Davis Enterprise," Tuesday, June 29, 2004
Barbara C. Moore

Barbara Ann (Covington) Moore died peacefully of pneumonia on June 21, 2004, in
El Cajon.

She was the wife of the Rev. John V. Moore, who was a campus minister at Cal
Aggie Christian Association in Davis during the 1960s. The Moores were perhaps
best known for their connection to the People's Temple and Jonestown, where two
of their daughters and a grandson died. They were very active in the anti-war
movement in Davis during the 1960s, traveling to the Paris peace talks during
the Vietnam War.

Born June 7, 1922, in Glendale to Harry H. Covington and Marian Estelle Allen,
Barbara grew up with her older brother Bob in Alhambra and both went to the
University of Redlands. Fate intervened when a young seminarian named John V.
Moore caught a glimpse of Barbara at the wedding of some mutual friends. He
began writing her long letters in purple ink (he was colorblind) and they
finally met after a short correspondence.

Barbara really fell for John, literally falling down the stairs to catch him as
he was leaving the locked door of her dormitory. After five more dates, they wed
Aug. 29, 1943, and took the train to Rochester, N.Y. (meeting Sinclair Lewis on
the way), where she graduated from the University of Rochester.

The next 60 years were action-packed, with moves to Elgin, Ill., Youngstown,
Ohio, and then west to California where they lived in Del Paso Heights, Hayward,
Chico, San Francisco, Davis, Berkeley, Reno, Nev., Sacramento and finally
"retirement" in Davis.

The Moore family moved from San Francisco to Davis when John began work as
campus minister with the C.A. House in August 1966. She lived in Davis from 1966
to 1972, and then upon retirement in 1981 until about 2001. She and her husband
were members of Davis United Methodist Church, and John briefly served as an
interim pastor at the church in the 1980s.

She bore three daughters, Carolyn, Rebecca and Annie, a still-born daughter,
Barbara Alice, and a son who died at birth.

Barbara had a long history of involvement with the peace movement. She joined
the weekly peace vigil on the G Street Plaza. The Women's League for Peace and
Freedom sent her as a delegate to the "End the War Conference" in Paris in 1971.
The delegation met with embassy personnel from the United States, Vietnam, North
Vietnam and the Vietcong.

During her years in Davis, she welcomed eight or 10 young adults to live in her
home for varying periods of time, and often helped individuals in crisis. She
hosted in her home the organizing meeting of Friends Outside for the Vacaville
prison. She was also active in the Democratic Party, and campaigned for Betsy
Marchand in her first run for the Board of Supervisors.

She was one of the original volunteers when Loaves & Fishes was organized in the
early 1980s in Sacramento and continued volunteering until she and her husband
moved from Davis in 2001.

Along the way, Barbara was actively engaged in working for civil rights and for
alleviating poverty. She participated in human rights parades in San Francisco
and anti-war protests in Davis. She really found her niche at Loaves & Fishes
and loved serving homeless men, women and children.

She delighted children with her witch's outfit, and in being asked why she
didn't demonstrate flying for them. "I only fly at night," she replied.

She was well-known for her impersonation of the psychic "Madame Barbara," and in
her "Rules for Fortune Tellers" wrote that for single women, young and slightly
older, "Always tell them they will be meeting a handsome stranger soon."
Although she was the quintessential minister's wife, she was chiefly an artist,
musician, chef, activist and bohemian.

At retirement homes in Sacramento and El Cajon she brightened the lives of many
with witty conversation, jokes and current events discussions.

She died peacefully in the arms of her husband of 61 years, and in the presence
of her daughter and son in-law. She will be deeply missed, her family said.

She was preceded in death by daughters Carolyn and Annie and 4-year-old grandson
Jim-Jon, all of whom died in Jonestown, Guyana, in 1978, and granddaughter
Hillary in 1995.

She is survived by her husband, John, of San Diego; daughter Rebecca and son
in-law Fielding McGehee III of San Diego; grandchildren, December of Council
Bluffs, Iowa, and Tim Edgar of Bozeman, Mont.; and great-grandson Conner of
Council Bluffs.

A memorial service will be held Saturday, July 10, at 1 p.m. at First United
Methodist Church, 21st and J streets in Sacramento. A service of committal is
tentatively scheduled for Friday, July 9, at the Davis Cemetery, but this is not
yet confirmed.

Remembrances may be sent to Loaves and Fishes, P.O. Box 2161, Sacramento, CA
95812.


Additional Comments:
Submitted with the permission of the "The Davis Enterprise." (315 G Street,
Davis, CA 95616).

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