Barbara Glasrud

Barbara C. Glasrud, 103, died on Saturday, February 15, 2025, at her Moorhead home under the care of Hospice of the Red River Valley. 

She was born January 11, 1922, in Red Wing, Minnesota, to Clarence and Belva Crawford. After graduating from high school in Lake City, Minnesota, she attended Carleton College, graduating in 1944. She worked briefly at the Minneapolis Museum of Art before commencing graduate studies at NYU and Bryn Mawr, receiving a Master of Arts degree in Asian Art History from the latter in 1947.

She married Clarence (“Soc”) Glasrud in 1948. While Soc obtained his doctorate, Barbara worked as Assistant Curator of Art at Harvard’s Fogg Museum. The couple then moved to Moorhead, where Soc chaired the English department at what is now known as Minnesota State University – Moorhead. After their son, Charlie, started school, Barbara began her teaching career at Concordia College in 1961. She retired as Chair of the Art Department in 1992. She was the first woman to receive the Reuel and Alma Wije Distinguished Professorship Award from the college. While at Concordia, Barbara led May Seminars Abroad in Art History for decades.

Barbara was a 74-year member of the Episcopal Church of St. John the Divine in Moorhead, where she variously served as senior warden, junior warden, clerk, and vestry member, as well as leading the altar guild. One particularly proud accomplishment was obtaining grant funding and seeing to completion the repair and restoration of the historic structure’s wooden shingle roof. 

Sabbatical leaves, summers and retirement afforded Barbara and Soc opportunities for much in-depth world travel – frequently to Europe, but also to China, India, Southeast Asia and South America. 

Barbara Glasrud is survived by her son Charles and daughter-in-law Theodora Economou, of Morris MN; grandson Joseph (Katharine Lindgren), also of Morris; granddaughter Katherine Glasrud (Brian Rider), of St. Paul; great grandson Scout Alexander Rider, also of St. Paul; and many nieces and nephews. She is also survived by a remarkable group of fascinating, loyal and loving friends and caregivers – including (but certainly not limited to) her “Malbec Monday” posse.

She was preceded in death by her husband; her sister, Jane Verby; and her parents.

Memorials may be made to the charity of the donor’s choice.

A funeral service will be held on Saturday, March 1, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. with a visitation one hour before the service at Wright Funeral Home, Moorhead, MN.

Final resting place will be in Prairie Home Cemetery, Moorhead, MN.