Obituary of Barbara M. Barnes

Barbara M. Barnes, 82, of rural Iowa City, died Wednesday, December 28, 2011, at Mercy Hospital in Iowa City. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m., Monday, January 2, 2012, at Gay & Ciha Funeral and Cremation Service in Iowa City. Visitation will be on Monday at the funeral home from 9:00 am until services. Following services a reception will be held for family and friends at the Moose Lodge in Iowa City. Graveside services will be held at 9:30 am Tuesday at Memory Gardens Cemetery. In lieu of flowers memorial donations can be made in Barbara's memory to Iowa City Hospice or the charity of your choice. Online condolences may be sent for her family through the web @ www.gayandciha.com. Barbara Mae Paulus was born January 16, 1929, in rural Johnson County, Iowa the daughter of Joseph and Gertrude (Carberry) Paulus. She attended schools in Iowa City graduating from City High School in 1947, going on to attend the State University of Iowa for two years. She married Lawrence "Bud" Barnes on June 14, 1949, at the First United Methodist Church in Iowa City. She and Bud made their home near Iowa City where they raised their family of five children. Barbara was in the truest sense of the word "Mother and Wife" She lived to care for her family, and as grandchildren and great-grandchildren came along, she was in her element. Nothing brought her more joy than her family! She loved being there for her kids in anything that they were involved with, especially sports, and this carried on with her grandchildren, spanning over fifty-one years in the bleachers cheering them on. She and Bud loved to dance and fish, she enjoyed playing bridge and working the polls at election time, and much to her family distaste, she loved those New York Yankees! Her family includes her husband, Bud; five children, Larry Barnes (Pam Calkins) of Iowa City; Steve Barnes of Iowa City; Bruce Barnes (Ellen) of Brighton, CO; Linda Barnes (Linda Mohrfeld) of Las Vegas, NV; and Tim Barnes (Rick Armstrong) of Oshawa, Canada; 8 grandchildren, J.R. Barnes, Todd (Rachel) Barnes, Ryan Barnes, Amanda (Chad) Nelson, Curt Barnes, Cassie (Dennis) Elchlinger, Brandon (Lacey) Barnes and Joey Barnes; 4 great-grandchildren, D.J. Elchlinger, Molly Mae Elchlinger, Grace Barnes, and Mya Nelson; sister, Joann Moss of Iowa City; brother, Rev. Richard Paulus (Ellyn) of West Branch; former daughter-in-law, Carla Barnes of Iowa City, and sister-in-law, Sonya Paulus of New York City, NY. She was preceded in death by her parents, and a brother, Robert Paulus.