Norma Charlene (Miller) Barnes, of Sonora, died Nov. 27 at Sonora Regional Medical Center. She was 83.
Mrs. Barnes married Mel Barnes on Dec. 14, 1945. They lived in Michigan, Indiana and Jamestown, N.Y., until 1959, when they packed their 1957 Chevrolet and three children and headed for California.
After a few years in the Santa Clara Valley, her husband felt called to the ministry with the United Methodist Church.
That took them to Tuolumne County for the first time, where they lived for 11 years while he was pastor of the Tuolumne and Soulsbyville United Methodist Churches from 1963 to 1973. They moved from Tuolumne to pastor a church in Linden. They retired in 1983 after serving the Methodist Church in Klamath.
She took an active role as a minister's wife, opening her door to all. She was known for singing the gospel, and enjoyed ministering through her music.
She traveled around the United States and as far away as India, taking her gift of singing with her. She released nine recordings over the years.
She returned to Tuolumne County in 2005 and for the last year has been a resident of Skyline Place, where she made new friends and played table games on a daily basis.
She is survived by her seven children, Cindi Myers, of Sonora, Brenda Trapasso, of Shingleton in Shasta County, Bill Barnes, of Klamath in Del Norte County, Claudia Kelley, of Sisters, Ore., Cathy Gill, of Linden, Sandra Wright, of Lodi, and Patti Aslakson, of Grants Pass, Ore.; a sister, Lorraine Miller, of Okemos, Mich.; 22 grandchildren; and 29 great-grandchildren.
Mrs. Barnes was preceded in death by her husband of 58 years, Ronald Melvin "Mel" Barnes; two brothers, William Earl Miller and Robert Miller; and a grandson, Keith Neri.
Mrs. Barnes married Mel Barnes on Dec. 14, 1945. They lived in Michigan, Indiana and Jamestown, N.Y., until 1959, when they packed their 1957 Chevrolet and three children and headed for California.
After a few years in the Santa Clara Valley, her husband felt called to the ministry with the United Methodist Church.
That took them to Tuolumne County for the first time, where they lived for 11 years while he was pastor of the Tuolumne and Soulsbyville United Methodist Churches from 1963 to 1973. They moved from Tuolumne to pastor a church in Linden. They retired in 1983 after serving the Methodist Church in Klamath.
She took an active role as a minister's wife, opening her door to all. She was known for singing the gospel, and enjoyed ministering through her music.
She traveled around the United States and as far away as India, taking her gift of singing with her. She released nine recordings over the years.
She returned to Tuolumne County in 2005 and for the last year has been a resident of Skyline Place, where she made new friends and played table games on a daily basis.
She is survived by her seven children, Cindi Myers, of Sonora, Brenda Trapasso, of Shingleton in Shasta County, Bill Barnes, of Klamath in Del Norte County, Claudia Kelley, of Sisters, Ore., Cathy Gill, of Linden, Sandra Wright, of Lodi, and Patti Aslakson, of Grants Pass, Ore.; a sister, Lorraine Miller, of Okemos, Mich.; 22 grandchildren; and 29 great-grandchildren.
Mrs. Barnes was preceded in death by her husband of 58 years, Ronald Melvin "Mel" Barnes; two brothers, William Earl Miller and Robert Miller; and a grandson, Keith Neri.
Norma Charlene (Miller) Barnes, of Sonora, died Nov. 27 at Sonora Regional Medical Center. She was 83.
Mrs. Barnes married Mel Barnes on Dec. 14, 1945. They lived in Michigan, Indiana and Jamestown, N.Y., until 1959, when they packed their 1957 Chevrolet and three children and headed for California.
After a few years in the Santa Clara Valley, her husband felt called to the ministry with the United Methodist Church.
That took them to Tuolumne County for the first time, where they lived for 11 years while he was pastor of the Tuolumne and Soulsbyville United Methodist Churches from 1963 to 1973. They moved from Tuolumne to pastor a church in Linden. They retired in 1983 after serving the Methodist Church in Klamath.
She took an active role as a minister's wife, opening her door to all. She was known for singing the gospel, and enjoyed ministering through her music.
She traveled around the United States and as far away as India, taking her gift of singing with her. She released nine recordings over the years.
She returned to Tuolumne County in 2005 and for the last year has been a resident of Skyline Place, where she made new friends and played table games on a daily basis.
She is survived by her seven children, Cindi Myers, of Sonora, Brenda Trapasso, of Shingleton in Shasta County, Bill Barnes, of Klamath in Del Norte County, Claudia Kelley, of Sisters, Ore., Cathy Gill, of Linden, Sandra Wright, of Lodi, and Patti Aslakson, of Grants Pass, Ore.; a sister, Lorraine Miller, of Okemos, Mich.; 22 grandchildren; and 29 great-grandchildren.
Mrs. Barnes was preceded in death by her husband of 58 years, Ronald Melvin "Mel" Barnes; two brothers, William Earl Miller and Robert Miller; and a grandson, Keith Neri.
Mrs. Barnes married Mel Barnes on Dec. 14, 1945. They lived in Michigan, Indiana and Jamestown, N.Y., until 1959, when they packed their 1957 Chevrolet and three children and headed for California.
After a few years in the Santa Clara Valley, her husband felt called to the ministry with the United Methodist Church.
That took them to Tuolumne County for the first time, where they lived for 11 years while he was pastor of the Tuolumne and Soulsbyville United Methodist Churches from 1963 to 1973. They moved from Tuolumne to pastor a church in Linden. They retired in 1983 after serving the Methodist Church in Klamath.
She took an active role as a minister's wife, opening her door to all. She was known for singing the gospel, and enjoyed ministering through her music.
She traveled around the United States and as far away as India, taking her gift of singing with her. She released nine recordings over the years.
She returned to Tuolumne County in 2005 and for the last year has been a resident of Skyline Place, where she made new friends and played table games on a daily basis.
She is survived by her seven children, Cindi Myers, of Sonora, Brenda Trapasso, of Shingleton in Shasta County, Bill Barnes, of Klamath in Del Norte County, Claudia Kelley, of Sisters, Ore., Cathy Gill, of Linden, Sandra Wright, of Lodi, and Patti Aslakson, of Grants Pass, Ore.; a sister, Lorraine Miller, of Okemos, Mich.; 22 grandchildren; and 29 great-grandchildren.
Mrs. Barnes was preceded in death by her husband of 58 years, Ronald Melvin "Mel" Barnes; two brothers, William Earl Miller and Robert Miller; and a grandson, Keith Neri.
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