Shirley M. Barnes, 91, of Columbia City, died peacefully at 4:05 p.m. Thursday, November 17, 2022, at Peabody Retirement Community, North Manchester, where she has been a resident, in Hospice care, since October 28th.

Born on March 25, 1931, in Emmetsburg, Iowa, she was a daughter of the late John and Gladys (Carnahan) Peterson. Growing up in Emmetsburg, she attended Emmetsburg High School.

After meeting her first husband in Emmetsburg, they moved to North Platte, Nebraska in 1953. She worked at a café' and local hotel. In 1963, she moved to California, where her positive and uplifting personality led her to become a caregiver to the William Hanna family in Burbank. In 1968, she moved back to Iowa, where she worked at the Highland Potato Chip Company for a year and also two different nursing homes. She met Charles Barnes in 1972 and married a year later. Charles died on June 22, 1989. In 2019, Shirley moved to Columbia City to be closer to her son Dave and his wife Kim.

With her outgoing personality, she never knew a stranger. She was a great cook at home and is remembered for her baked goods. In her senior years, she grew to enjoy old western movies.

Surviving are her children, Cathy (Robert) Latta of Fort Worth, TX, David Cullen and Judy Lange, both of Bremerton, WA, Renee Anderson of Caldwell, ID, Estel "Gene" Walker of Burlington, IA and Dave (Kimberly) Barnes of Columbia City, nine grandchildren and several great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by siblings John "Wayne" Peterson, Keith Peterson, Maynard Peterson, Kenneth Peterson, Geraldine Vogel, Dorothy Zimmer, and Joan Vitolo.

There will be no local services. A Celebration of Life will be held in the summer of 2023 in Iowa. Arrangements are in the care of Smith & Sons Funeral Home, Columbia City.