Wanda N. Barnes

Wanda N. Barnes, 88 of Grand Island, died Friday, March 16, 2018 at Bickford Cottage, Grand Island, Nebraska.



Services will be 10:30 a.m., Thursday, March 22, 2018 at Apfel Funeral Home, Grand Island with the Chaplain Teresa Coleman officiating. Burial will be in Cameron Cemetery, Wood River, Nebraska. The family will greet friends from 4-7 p.m. Wednesday, March 21, 2018, at the Apfel Funeral Home in Grand Island. Memorials are suggested to the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation or Cameron Cemetery Association. Apfel Funeral Home is caring for the family.



Wanda Nadine Barnes was born August 18, 1929 in Hyannis, Nebraska the daughter of Adelbert E. & Nina N. (Cox) Wilcox. She grew up in Cairo & Lincoln. She graduated at the age of 16 from College View High School in Lincoln.



She met the love of her life at the age of 14 in Lincoln and was united in marriage at the age of 18 to Gerald Barnes on June 12, 1948 at Lincoln, Nebraska. The couple made their first home in Lincoln where she was employed as a dental assistant and Jerry finished his college degree at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Throughout the years they moved numerous times due to Jerry's work in the dairy industry. They lived in Mitchell, Valley, Hastings, North Loup, Norfolk, Superior and Omaha. During that time, she worked at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Norfolk, NE and the Broadstone Memorial Hospital, Superior, NE as a physical therapy aide.



She was a member of United Methodist Church.



As a young girl she played the accordion and tap danced with her brother. She continued her love of dancing by square dancing for several years with her husband, Jerry. She loved to shop and could always spot a good bargain while looking for a cute shirt. She loved to spend time with her grandchildren and was known to provide them with a sundae cone on a regular basis.



Those left to cherish her memory include her husband of 69 years, Jerry Barnes of Grand Island, three daughters & sons-in-law, Michele & Mark Harris of Riverton, Wyoming, Robin & Ray Shanks, of Kearney, Nebraska, Kristin & Stu Martin of Seffner, Florida, eight grandchildren, Amy Harris, Shelly Doehring, Michael Harris, Sean Martin, Kevin Martin, Thomas Martin, Zachary Shanks and Alexander Shanks, and two great grandchildren, Shaylee Harris and Elise Harris, and a brother, Edwin Bud Wilcox of Waverly, NE.



She was preceded in death by her parents and an infant brother.