Barbara Louise Myers passed away at home, surrounded by her family, on Thursday, January 21, 2016, after a long battle with heart disease.
Barbara was born January 4, 1938, to Walter Ray and Ella Mae Smith Tomlinson in Joplin, MO. Her mother passed when Barbara was 18 months old and she was raised by her sister, Zelma Thomas. She attended Joplin High School, graduating in 1955. On August 18, 1956, she married Wilbur “Bud” Myers. He survives at home.
She was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. She and her husband were sealed for time and all eternity on August 26, 1958 in the Los Angeles, CA temple.
Barbara was preceded in death by a sister, Juanita Thomas and a brother, Roy Tomlinson. She is survived by her 4 children, Karen Myers Peternell (Mike) of Arma, KS; Susan Myers, Joplin, MO; Julie Myers West (Don) of Webb City, MO; and Brian Myers (Jennifer), of Joplin, MO. Other survivors include her 11 grandchildren – Rusty, Jeremy (Jordyn), Blake, Timmy, Cory, Trace, Shawn, Dillon, Angela, Brianna, and Beau, and 1 great-grandchild – Bryson; a sister, Zelma Thomas, and numerous cousins and other family.
In the early years of her marriage, she was a homemaker and stay-at-home mother. She later joined the work force as a sales clerk at Lynn’s Hallmark, an office worker for Dr. Dan Dagan, and municipal court clerk for the City of Webb City.
She was affectionately known by her grandchildren as Grandma Sweets because her cookie and candy jars were never empty. She loved to cook and bake; her specialty being anything involving chocolate. At Christmastime, she would order a 25-pound block of chocolate from a candy company in Salt Lake City, which she would chisel into pieces for candy making and distribution to family members.
With a gift and special flare for decorating, she was able to create a warm, loving environment in her home. She loved to decorate for the holidays and her favorite was Halloween. She went all out, with decorations and parties, looking forward with anticipation to the trick-or-treaters coming and loved seeing the kids’ costumes.
For several years at Christmas, she made gingerbread houses from scratch, having created her own pattern. These houses were even sold at Arts & Crafts shows in Joplin. They were works of art.
She was a talented seamstress. She made her children’s clothes and Halloween costumes. She made curtains, crafts, one-of-a-kind dresses for special occasions, Christmas stockings – making “what we can’t find, we’ll make” a reality.
Photo albums and scrapbooks were a project she took up after retirement. By the time she was finished, each child and grandchild had their own personalized history told in photographs.
The daily crossword puzzle in The Joplin Globe was a favorite pastime. She could easily spot 4-leaf clovers in a patch of clover. Anything she gift-wrapped looked like a professional had done it.
She was eloquent with words both written and spoken and had a flare for expressing thoughts and ideas. A logical thinker with a good sense of humor and just the right amount of sarcasm, Barbara was able to put her take on a situation that left you rolling on the floor laughing. Seinfeld, Carol Burnett, I Love Lucy, and All in the Family were some of her favorite TV shows.
Mother is the glue that holds the family together. Barbara was the center of her family, both the one she came from and the one she had. She loved unconditionally and had a way of making everyone feel special to her. Because they were.
A heartfelt thanks from the family to all who were involved in her clinical care – the nurses and physicians at Freeman Heart Center, and a special thanks to the angel nurses from Hospice Compassus.
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