In the 1970's, Barbara went back to school to earn her Emergency Medical Technician certification. She was one of the first women in the town of Glastonbury, Connecticut to serve on her town's volunteer ambulance corps. She served nine years and logged almost seven thousand hours of emergency medical service in the field. She was also elected her corps's first female officer and president, serving in that capacity for three years. Barbara has done volunteer work for her children's schools, for the New Hampshire Humane Society and for the Hartford, Connecticut food bank. She has traveled all over the world with her husband.

She is a genealogist; her first book, based on her research on the Eckbreth family is titled The Eckbreth Genealogy, A Pennsylvania Pioneer's Family History, 1830-1997. The book was published in 1997 and recorded on microfilm by the Mormon Church. Katherine's Book, A Familial History of Katherine Ruth McVey, 1625- 2000 was published in 2002 and also sent to the Mormons for recording. Her third book of genealogy, based on her research on the Korngiebel families, is titled The Korngiebel Genealogy, American Pioneers From Germany, 1843- 2002; it was also published and microfilmed by the Mormon Church. Barbara has also been working on her private memoirs to be saved for her grandchildren and their descendants. When granddaughter Sarah was born in 2003, Barbara decided to rewrite Katherine's Book, bringing it up to date, and adding Sarah.