Ila Ann Barnes, 84, of Rochester, MN, died of natural causes at her home Wednesday, March 4, 2020.
Ila was born to Luther and Julia (Larson) Groth on June 10, 1935 in Winneshiek County, Iowa. She graduated from Decorah High School in 1953. She married Ronald Roger Barnes and together they had four children.
Their three farms were located around Harmony, MN, and Hesper, Iowa. Ila worked at the Cresco Hospital, Harmony Hospital and served on the Harmony Ambulance crew. While living north of Harmony, she was an active member of the Greenfield Lutheran Church.
In 1976, she graduated from RCC with a two-year degree in nursing and later earned her BSN from Winona State University on the RCC campus in 1988.
In 1982, she began her career at Mayo in Rochester working on the rehab floor in Mary Brigh and the geriatric psychology floor in Generose, retiring in 1997.
In 1983, Ila moved from Harmony to her townhouse in northwest Rochester, where she resided for 35 years. She enjoyed visiting with her townhouse friends.
She was a faithful member of Bethel Lutheran Church in Rochester. She was active in the church participating in quilting, Bible studies and going to church with her friends.
She enjoyed traveling around the U.S., the Caribbean, Germany, the UK, Scandinavia and Mexico. She was always on the hunt to build her Life List of birds.
She wintered in South Padre Island and Rockport, TX. She chose these places specifically for the birding opportunities. She again made many friendships from all over the world on her adventures on the Texas coast.
Often her birding trips included going to Oxbow Park, a state park or up and down the Mississippi River and most likely around Lake City or Wabasha.
With her love of travel, she blessed her family by taking them to South Padre Island, Disney World and the Riviera Maya in Mexico.
She found great pleasure in attending her grandchildren’s activities and events. In recent years, she became an avid volleyball fan for her granddaughters.
She moved to Homestead Senior Living in 2016. She knew a handful of friends who lived there before she moved in and left having made many more.
She will be missed by many with great love and affection.
Our Mother, Our Gram and Our Ila.
Memorials preferred to: Highland Lutheran Church, the Fremont Lutheran Cemetery, Greenfield Lutheran Church, Bethel Lutheran Church, National Eagle Center, Eagle Bluff Environmental Learning Center, and Oxbow Park.
A private family service has been held.
Ila Ann Barnes is survived by her four children: Rhonda Lee Barnes, Russell Lynn (Jennifer) Barnes, Robin Lou (Charles) Barnes-Lutes, and Randall Lane (Stefanie) Barnes; six grandchildren: Michelle Lee (Jessica) Frantzen, Robert (Caryn) Lewison, Katharine (Daniel) Fitzsimmons, Andrew Barnes, Garrett (fiancé Taylor Case) Barnes and Bailey Ann Barnes; three great grandchildren: Sidney Lewison, Keira Lewison, and Beckett Frantzen; her sister Norma Halse, her brother- and sister-in-law Duane and Shirley Groth, and many nieces, nephews and friends.
She was preceded in death by her husband Ronnie in 1981, her parents, brothers- and sisters-in laws Kenneth and Dorothy Groth and Keith and Rita Groth, and a brother-in-law, Donald Halse.
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