BARNUM, Bernita (1914-2010)

BARNUM

Posted By: Mary Hart, Volunteer (email)
Date: 9/18/2010 at 15:18:08

Winterset Madisonian, Winterset, Iowa

BERNITA BARNUM, Indianola

Bernita Barnum, 96, died Sept. 8, 2010, at Wesley Retirement Village in Indianola.

A memorial service was held Sunday, Sept. 12, at The Village in Indianola. A graveside service was held Monday, Sept. 13, at the Leon Cemetery. Memorials may be directed to the activity fund at The Village. Arrangements were handled by Ochiltree Funeral Service & Aftercare in Winterset. Online condolences may be made at www.ochiltree.com .
Bernita Barnum was born June 2, 1914, in Greenfield to Cecil and Zora (Vieth) Barnum. When she was a small girl, her family moved to Leon, where she attended grade school and was a 1932 graduate of Leon High School. Bernita attended Simpson College, graduating in 1940, and later took graduate studies at the University of Boulder in Colorado and the University of Nebraska. She retired in 1978 as a reading clinician from the Omaha Public Schools following a career which spanned 35 years. Bernita was one of the original staff and developers of the Omaha Reading Clinic, which was one of the first of its kind in the nation. Following retirement, she and her brother, Elmo, moved to Indianola in 1985. Bernita and her brother were philanthropic, and through the years were very supportive of their home community of Leon and Decatur County, as well as Indianola and Simpson College. Together they funded five endowed scholarships and financed the reconstruction of the foyer on the first floor of the College Hall — which was named in their honor. They also made many gifts to the college theatre program and Smith Chapel and helped provide financial assistance to many students for study abroad. Bernita was a lifetime member of Simpson’s President’s Society, Women’s Federated Club, American Legion Auxiliary, Eastern Star (50 years), and United Methodist Church of Indianola. She was a volunteer teacher at the Indianola Learning Center for many years and because of her dedication, she was awarded the School Board Salute from the Indianola School District in 1994.

She was preceded in death by her brother.

She is survived by several cousins.