Barns, Charles Alonzo Sr. 1838-1931

BARNS, GRAY, GRANGER, LEE, WALLACE, HOLMES, GONTER

Posted By: Marilyn Holmes
Date: 10/19/2014 at 16:44:43

The Grinnell (IA) Herald
Friday, June 19, 1931

AN OLD TIMER
BURIED AT CHESTER

C.A. Barns, Sr., Lived Near Grinnell
Forty-Two Years, Mostly on the
Home Farm in Chester Twp.

The body of Charles A. Barns, Sr., reached Grinnell this morning from Wakeman, Ohio, accompanied by his son, Charles A. Barns, Jr., and two daughters, Mrs. Eunice Barns Holmes and Lydia Barns Gonter. A few friends met the party at the station and the body was taken to Snyder's parlor. Burial was this morning in the family lot at Chester Center. The party will visit here a couple of days before returning to their home in Wakeman, Ohio.

Mr. Barns was in his 93rd year. The obituary follows. It was read at the funeral in Wakeman.

"Charles Alonzo Barns was the oldest son of Sedgwick and Lydia Gray Barns. He was born at Clarksfield, Ohio, Dec. 16, 1838, and died at Wakeman, Ohio, June 16, 1931, in his 93d year.

When eighteen years of age he went to Iowa City, Ia., where he spent 12 years, then to Grinnell for 42 years, and returned to Ohio at 72 years of age, having been a farmer for his entire life.

For fifty years he was a member of the Methodist church but with his family transferred his membership to the Congregational church when he came to Wakeman to live. On April 24th, 1859, he was united in marriage to Lucretia Granger. To this union were born six children two of whom reached maturity, namely: Sara Barns Lee, who died 31 years ago, and Alonzo Barns, Jr., now residing in Wakeman, Ohio. Two years after the death of his wife on June 23d, 1877, he was united in marriage to Ellen Wallace who died June 24, 1895, leaving two children, Eunice Barns Holmes and Lydia Barns Gonter.

Mr. Barns leaves with his three surviving children, the memory of a kind, industrious and conscientious father; his eight grandchildren and one great-grandchild will remember him as a gentle and loving grandfather. With the entire community in which he has passed the closing years of a long and useful life, he leaves the sweet memory of an honest, faithful and intelligent friend and neighbor. In the language of the Scriptures: "He now rests from all his labors, and his works shall follow him."

"His suffering ended with the day,
Yet lived he at it close,
And breathed the long, long night
away,
In statue-like repose.
But when the sun, in all his state,
Illuminated the eastern skies,
He passed through Glory's morning
gate.
And walked in Paradise."