Earl L. "Barney" Barnes, 80 years old of Decatur, Indiana, passed away on Saturday, October 10, 2009 at his residence following a 1 1/2 year battle with cancer. He was born on Saturday, April 13, 1929 in Lilbourn, Missouri the son of the late Clare Barnes and the late Stella (Stanfield) Barnes. Earl married Ruth Fellers in July of 1951 and she passed away in June of 1970. He married his second wife, Marilyn Baumgartner, in November of 1971 and she passed away in November of 1974. On October 18, 1997 he married Linda L. Kelley in the First Baptist Church in Decatur and she survives. Earl served in the United States Army Air Corp in Guam. He was a member of Decatur Baptist Church, the VFW of Geneva, Indiana and the Local 57 of the U.A.W. In the 1950's Earl had worked at Dunbar Furniture in Berne. He retired in 1983 from International Harvester in Fort Wayne with twenty-seven years of service as a production worker. He was then employed as a driver for 88 Fleet, Shaffer Investment Auto and Custom Car Care. He also did maintenance work for Ideal Suburban Homes. Surviving are his wife, Linda L. Barnes of Decatur, son, Barry D. (Ellen) Barnes of Decatur, son, Brian W. (Leiah) Barnes of Decatur, daughter, Stacy L. Barnes of Decatur, step-son, Tom Kelley of Decatur, step-daughter, Tammy (Wes) Hitt of Decatur, sister, Clara Bergstrom of Livonia, Michigan, brother, Frank Barnes of Windfall, Indiana, fifteen grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Preceding Earl in death was one brother, Doyle Barnes . Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, October 14, 2009 in the Zwick & Jahn Funeral Home with Pastor Andrew Lyons officiating. Interment will follow in the Pleasant Dale Cemetery, rural Decatur with Military Graveside Honors conducted by the American Legion Post #43 Color Guard. Friends will be received from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., Tuesday, October 13 in the Zwick & Jahn Funeral Home, Decatur. Preferred memorials are to Decatur Baptist Church or the Family Hospice & Palliative Care of Northeast Indiana in Berne.
