Jeffrey Barnes Obituary

May 8, 2025

Roger Hanson wrote a sympathy message

““I’ve heard it said that when you die - your life flashes through your mind. I don’t know if that’s true, but I can tell you when I heard my friend Jeff had passed, my life flashed through mine. I’ve known Jeff as long I’ve known anyone in my world. At least the parts I can earliest remember. My earliest and most primal memories of life seemed to start when I was with Jeff. At least the fun kid’s memories for sure. When we were toddlers, I remember my Mom Margaret and Jeff’s Mom Pat turned us loose at the curling rink. Of course as toddlers we could barely push the rocks let alone lift them, but it was a blast and I’ve never forgotten that. As very young kids I remember precious summer vacations in Waskesiu with Jeff, along with my parents Bob and Marg, Jeff’s parents Pat and Blair, along with a great, regular crowd of other folks each summer. It was two weeks of endless joy every July that we looked forward to so eagerly -- and it never disappointed. Swimming, beach, hide and seek in the woods, fishing, hot dogs and hamburgers every day, and as kids we’d cruise around Waskesiu alone and unsupervised. It was perfect! No other way to put it. Back in Eatonia we were quite inseparable. Something most every day, be it biking all day through the prairie countryside, or endless games of football on the drug store lawn, sometimes soccer, sometimes a hybrid combination of the two games we somehow invented ourselves. We were pretty innovative kids. Most every winter day it was street hockey - always under a street light so we could play into the evening until the siren went off. At night it would be hockey in the drug store aisles for hours more - interrupted by occasional raids of the peanut machine - later on the store’s magazine rack. In the spring, we’d spend hour after hour racing our popsicle stick “race boats” along the stream running down the gutters of Main Street from the Home Town Toggery to the drain at the Palace Cafe corner. Then right back to the starting line. Again and again. Later on in school, it was hockey together, football, volleyball, basketball… and we were a daunting badminton duo! I could go on and on - but I’ll not do that here. Fact is - there is much more to tell, and where my friend is concerned, I could go on and never stop. I just wish my friend was here to help me share this and I’m sure he’d add to it. The truly sad thing is that now I’m the sole carrier of these precious childhood memories we used to share. The memories lose a lot when they can no longer be shared… shared with my friend as he and I laugh and reminisce. As years went on and life goes different directions, we couldn’t stay as close as we’d been years ago, but our connection would always be immediate as if not a day had passed. I miss my good friend Jeff. It’s something that can’t be replaced. Now I look at my life, and I know that it’s become colder, lonelier, and emptier. That bright, shining light of friendship has flickered and is gone. Just as it has for Gale as her shining light has faded away, and that bright, shining light of guidance, support, and wisdom for the entire family no longer shines. I know they bear that heavy burden as well, and they will find great strength and support from each other. And we carry on.”

May 8, 2025

Roger Hanson wrote a sympathy message

“I’ve heard it said that when you die - your life flashes through your mind. I don’t know if that’s true, but I can tell you when I heard my friend Jeff had passed, my life flashed through mine. I’ve known Jeff as long I’ve known anyone in my world. At least the parts I can earliest remember. My earliest and most primal memories of life seemed to start when I was with Jeff. At least the fun kid’s memories for sure. When we were toddlers…”

May 5, 2025

Andrea Volk wrote a sympathy message

“Gale my sincerest condolences. My thoughts and prayers are with you and yours in your time of sorrow. Andrea Volk”