Sylvia E. Barr

Sylvia E. Barr

Sylvia Ellen Barr - from Port Byron, IL and formerly New Liberty, IA, transitioned peacefully from this life to be with her Savior Jesus Christ on Friday, April 27, 2018 at 10:50 a.m. at Good Samaritan Nursing Home Geneseo, IL, with family by her side.

There will be a visitation on Monday, May 7th from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. at Wildwood Baptist Church, 18717 Hubbard Road, East Moline, IL. A funeral service will be on Tuesday, May 8th at 11:00 a.m. with visitation one hour prior to the service.  A luncheon will follow in the Church Fellowship Hall. Vandemore Funeral Home & Crematory, Geneseo, is assisting the family with these arrangements.

Sylvia was born on March 28, 1926, the firstborn child of Lawrence and Garnet McGrew Brookhart, in Cranston, IA.  She married Robert Norman Barr on February 24, 1946. He preceded her in death on October 20, 2002. 

Sylvia graduated from Muscatine High School and attended Muscatine Junior College. She started her career working for her father at Lucas Street Grocery Store and later at Grain Processing Corporation, both in Muscatine, IA. She ran the Knit Shop in Windsor Heights, IA, with her mother-in-law, Merle Barr. She later started a career as personal secretary for R.G. Dickinson in Des Moines, IA, and worked her way up to First Vice President of Operations. She and her husband retired to Austin, TX and started a printing company called Printer’s Ink. 

Sylvia is survived by her sons, Stephen Craig Barr and his wife Yvonne, Des Moines, IA and Mark Allen Barr and his wife, Nancy of Port Byron, IL. Sylvia was blessed with three grandchildren, Michael Bennett Barr and his wife Jill, Spencer, IA, Robert Mark Barr and his wife Michelle, New Orleans, LA and Megan Ann Kelley and her husband Kevin, Geneseo. She also has two grand-daughters at heart, Amber Ramsey and her husband Dan, Robinson, IL and Jala Smith and her husband John, Fairview, IL. Sylvia has eleven great grandchildren, Christian and Caitlyn Barr, Lincoln Kelley, Jilane, Jagger, Jaxton and Jamen Smith and Abigail, Capri, Otto and Nikolai Ramsey. She is survived by her brother-in-law, Richard Cone.  She is also survived by several nieces and nephews whom she loved dearly, Vivian Reed, Karen Holland, Terry Bockwoldt, Larry Waltman, Gary Waltman, Jared Cone, Beth Preston, Peggy Van Meter and Kerry Fisher and their families.

Sylvia was preceded in death by her husband Bob, her daughter-in-law, Robbin Ann Barr,  sisters, Retha Waltman, Phyllis Cone and a nephew, Ricky Waltman.

In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to River Bend Food Bank in her memory.