Byron Barnes Services Held
Byron L. Barnes, 86, of St. Paul, died on Tuesday, October 4, 2022 at the Litzenberg Memorial Long-Term Care in Central City.
Services were held on Saturday, October 15, 2022 at the United Methodist Church in St. Paul. The Reverend Mike Anderson officiated. Recorded selections included “The Old Rugged Cross” by Guy Penrod and “How Great Thou Art” by Carrie Underwood. Burial was in the Cotesfield Cemetery, near Cotesfield. Casket bearers were Paul Pfeifer, Derek Pfeifer, Tony Empfield, Greg Barnes, Boyd Bowder, and Gerald Johnson. Memorials are suggested to the family for later designation. Peters Funeral Home of St. Paul assisted the family.
Byron Levant Barnes was born on May 16, 1936 on a farm near Cotesfield. Byron was the only son of Everett E. and Lillian C. (Gerhardt) Barnes. Byron went to a country school on the family farm and then attended high school in Scotia. He worked on the family farm with his father and enjoyed spending time with his two sisters, Patsy and Joy.
He married the love of his life, Dorine J. Johnson, on April 8, 1956 at Scotia and lived on a farm close to the family farm. They were blessed with two sons, Roger and Mark. In 1972, Byron moved his family to Jenks, Oklahoma, where he worked for Oral Roberts University for six years as a maintenance man. He then went to work for the Jenks public school system, also as a maintenance man. In 1991, the family moved to a home in Glenpool, Oklahoma. Byron retired at the age of sixty-two, after twenty years of service.
In 2000, Byron and Dorine moved back to the Cotesfield farm to enjoy their golden years and take care of the farm. On January 16, 2016, Byron lost the love of his life, Dorine, after fifty-nine years of marriage. Shortly after her passing, Byron moved to Matelyn Retirement Community in St. Paul, where he met his best friend, his dog, Candy. On April 4, 2021, Byron lost his oldest son, Roger, at sixty-three years of age. Byron loved watching his ministry television shows and enjoyed driving his vehicle on the country roads, taking in all the sites, and spending time with his dog, Candy. His hobbies were fishing, reading, especially the Bible, and listening to Bill Gaither gospel music. To relax, he bird-watched from his apartment window. He is survived by a son and two daughtersin- law, Mark and Gloria Barnes of Newnan, Georgia and Linda Barnes of Lavaca, Arkansas; two grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren; two sisters, Patsy Falconer of LaQuinta, California and Joy Kuszak of Grand Island; and numerous nieces and nephews.
In addition to his wife and son, he was preceded in death by his parents and brothers-in-law, Jim Falconer and Alfred Kuszak.