Kathryn LaVonne Barfels, 80, of Reinbeck, Iowa, died at the Western Home Martin Center on Friday, March 12, 2010, of complications from Alzheimer’s disease.
Kathryn was born on January 11, 1930, and raised in the Waterloo area. She graduated from West High in Waterloo in 1948, and married Leo W. Barfels of Lincoln, Iowa on March 26, 1949, at the Little Brown Church in Nashua. They lived in Lincoln, Iowa, where they raised their three children, until they moved to Grinnell, Iowa in 1965. They owned and operated Leo’s Standard for the next nine years, where Kathryn served as office manager. In 1974, they sold their business and moved to Centennial, Wyoming, where she worked at the Old Corral, Centennial’s landmark restaurant, and Sweetbriar clothing store in Laramie. They moved to Reinbeck, Iowa in May of 2004.
Kathryn and Leo were founding members of the Centennial Valley Church. She was also active in the Centennial Social Club, the Busy Bees, and while living in Iowa, the Order of the Eastern Star.
Her hobbies included scrapbooking, embroidery, flower gardening, and exploring the Snowy Range Mountains of the Medicine Bow National forest in southeast Wyoming. When she was 45 years old, she climbed 2000 feet to the top of Medicine Bow Peak (elevation 12,000 feet) with her family and her Cairn terrier, Tyrone. She enjoyed many, adventurous trips to the mountains with her children, grandchildren and visiting friends and relatives. She loved the landscape and natural wonders of Wyoming, including its beautiful wildflowers, wild game, and birds (especially the hummingbirds). Her infectious smile and fun-loving personality delighted the Centennial Valley community at picnics, parties, and western dances. She loved music.
Kathryn is survived by her husband Leo, her son Danny (Kathy) Barfels of Cedar Falls, daughters Sandra (Charlie) Weaver of Orlando, Susan Soderberg (Tim) of Laramie, sisters Dorothy (Dale) Tupy of Wooster, OH, Linda (Dave) Hazlett of Grundy Center, 7 grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren.
She is preceded in death by her father and mother, Edward and Pauline Schwartz, and her brother, Paul Schwartz.
|
