Barbara Deer Kuss
Born in Crawfordsville, Indiana in 1923, Barbara Kuss graduated from Springfield High School and attended MacMurray College. She served the Springfield community in many ways throughout her adult life. She was a major donor to Community Hospital, where she also served 12 years on the board of directors. She was a member of the board of trustees of the Community Hospital Independent Endowment Fund for 15 years. For more 30 years she served as a hospital volunteer and was a past-president of its Women’s Auxiliary. She also served on the boards of the Springfield Foundation, the Center for Sensory Motor Development, the Friends of Mercy St. John’s Center, Clark Memorial Home Association and the Springfield YWCA. She served as an elder and deaconess of Covenant Presbyterian Church, where she was also a past-president of the Women’s Association. Among the honors she received for her service were Community Hospital’s Meritorious Service Award and honorary alumna status at Wittenberg University.
