Barbara Ann Frost

Barbara Ann Franklin Frost passed peacefully into the arms of the Lord on April 4, 2026, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, at age 94. She was born on March 20, 1932 in Porter, Oklahoma, to parents Jesse Howard Franklin and Grace Ivalee White Franklin. Her father was a World War I veteran, who ran a small car repair shop at their house in Porter, while her mother worked in various stores in town. She had an older brother, James Howard, and younger twin sisters, June and Jane.

Barbara met Jimmie Frost while both were attending Porter High School, graduating as valedictorian of the class of 1950. She married Jim on September 16, 1950 in Haskell OK. They first resided in Tulsa before settling in Wagoner. Jim’s service in the U.S. Army took Barbara and Jim to Georgia, where daughter Lori was born, and then to Germany, where they lived in a small village for almost a year. After his service, the three of them returned home where son David was born in Muskogee. Shortly thereafter, Jim started a career which required the family to travel to different states, where they stayed for various lengths of time. Through the years, Jim’s career took them to Ohio, Iowa, Michigan, Kentucky, Wisconsin, Colorado, Florida, North Dakota, and Missouri, some of which fell during their children’s early school years. They always had a permanent home in Wagoner to return to between projects.

Barbara was a member of First Baptist Church in Porter while growing up and later was a member of First Baptist Church in Wagoner for 65 years. She participated in choir, the WMU women’s group, assisted leading the Acteens girls group, was a VBS helper, and was very close to the members of her women's Sunday school class.

Barbara loved making a welcoming and comfortable home and caring for her children. She often said that the happiest time of her life was when her children were small. Barbara supported Jim in all of his work projects in different parts of the country, and shared many interests and hobbies in their later years. One of their favorite activities was doing genealogical research. They compiled a prodigious amount of ancestry information, and traveled to some of the old home places of their ancestors.

Upon retirement, Jim and Barbara sold their house and became full-time RV-ers for close to 20 years, alternating living in the mountains in Questa, New Mexico in summer, and Mission, Texas in winter. They traveled all over the country in their RV, visiting almost every state. They loved to visit historical sites and museums, as well as national parks and mountain ranges in all parts of the country. They settled back in Wagoner after their RV adventures.

Barbara and Jim welcomed four grandchildren between 1995 and 1999: Julie, Jonathan, Rachel, and Lauren, who won Miss Oklahoma 2024 and placed in the top ten at Miss America 2025. She drove her grandkids to and from school activities and attended almost all of their various performances and events. She especially loved to cheer them on at football games and parades when they were in marching band, the same way she cheered on her own children years before. Barbara was fortunate to see all four of her grandchildren graduate from High School, and then from college. She was proud of all their achievements and witnessing the milestones in their lives.

After her husband, Jim, passed away in 2008, Barbara took on the challenge of becoming more independent but never forgot all the experiences and joys they shared together. She enjoyed working in her yard and walking in the neighborhood for exercise. She also exercised at Curves gym for several years where she made many friends, and at First Baptist Church of Wagoner, after the construction of the gym.

Attending her high school reunions was very important to Barbara, as was staying in contact with classmates. She and her childhood friend Vesta took some trips together to Branson and Eureka Springs, and Barbara often drove to Texas by herself to visit Vesta. Barbara was a member of the Wagoner County Historical Society where she loved attending the weekly meetings and hearing the special speakers. She enjoyed activities with her senior church group, including trips to Branson, monthly birthday celebrations at Charlie’s Chicken in Fort Gibson, and other church activities. For many years, she enjoyed meeting to socialize with a small group of ladies from the church every Monday morning at McDonald’s.

Barbara was very kind and compassionate. She enjoyed reading, history, art, and music, practiced crochet, cross-stitch, ceramics, other crafts, and was a talented seamstress. She loved listening to a wide variety of music genres but especially cherished her time singing in the church choir. She had a great sense of humor, was witty and fun to be around, and had a knack for making others feel at ease. She made many friends over the years, liked to strike up conversations with strangers, and enjoyed long phone conversations and visits with relatives and friends.

Barbara lived a full and happy life and will be greatly missed by many.

Barbara was preceded in death by her beloved husband Jim Frost, her parents Jesse Howard Franklin and Grace Ivalee White Franklin, brother James Howard Franklin, sisters Rita June Franklin Smith and Wanda Jane Franklin Martin, father-in-law George Nathan Frost, mother-in-law Mary Alice Frost, brothers-in-law Forrest Smith, James Martin, Nathan Devearl Frost, and Larry Blair; sisters-in-law Odema Gail Frost Blair, Ardith Thompson, and Edna Frost; and one niece, Kimberly Smith. She was also predeceased by many beloved aunts, uncles, cousins and friends.

Barbara is survived by her daughter Lori Tibbs of Broken Arrow, son David Frost and his wife Kathy, of Wagoner. She is also survived by her grandchildren Julie and Rachel Tibbs of Broken Arrow, Jonathan Frost and wife Hannah of Manchester, New Hampshire, Lauren Perry and husband Caleb of Oklahoma City. Also, she is survived by son-in-law Jeff Tibbs of Wagoner, sister-in-law Dolores Franklin of Porter, ten nieces and nephews: Marcella (Don) Phillips, John (Shay) Franklin, Debra (Terry) Layton, Doug (Connie) Martin, Darren Martin, Bryce (Shannon) Smith, Beverly (Karl) Graf, Dan (Laurie) Frost, Sherry Frost, and Melody Rosenthal. She is survived by a large number of extended family and friends.

The family would like to thank Barbara’s caregivers at Prairie House Assisted Living in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma Memory Care Institute in Tulsa, and Complete OK hospice, and for the outpouring of love from our relatives and friends at this time.

Family will greet friends at a Visitation on Wednesday, April 8, 2026, in the Chapel of Mallett Funeral Home from 5-7 pm.

A Funeral Service will be held to honor the life of Barbara Frost on Thursday, April 9, 2026, at 1:00 pm in the Chapel of Mallett Funeral Home. Chaplain Nancy Brown will officiate.

Interment will follow at Greenwood Cemetery, Porter, Oklahoma.

The family of Barbara Frost has entrusted her care and services to Mallett Funeral Home and Crematory, 417 East Cherokee Street, Wagoner, OK, 74467.  918-485-2911