Barbara Downing

A funeral service for Barbara Downing will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday at Trinity Lutheran Church in Algona with Pastor Joseph Seifert officiating. Burial will be in West Bend Cemetery. A visitation will be one hour prior to the funeral service at 10 a.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church.

Barbara Faye Downing was born May 9, 1945, at West Bend to Rex and Margaret (Berninghaus) Downing. She attended school in Marshalltown through the sixth grade before moving to Newton where she graduated from high school in 1963. She then attended American Institute of Business in Des Moines. She became employed at Fisher Control in Marshalltown and later at Heilman Data Services in Carlisle. She also worked at Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Des Moines as well as Data Vision in Carlisle. In February 2010, Barbara moved from Newton to Algona to be closer to family and died suddenly Wednesday morning, Aug. 14, 2013, at Kossuth Regional Health Center in Algona at the age of 68.

Barbara, growing up on the farm, enjoyed all animals, especially horses and through the years owned a cat, Sniffles, and a dog, Zeke. She also enjoyed reading, playing Skip-Bo and spending time with her family and friends. Barbara was a member of the Lutheran Women’s Missionary League and was on the evangelism team at Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Carlisle. While living in Algona, she was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church.

Survivors include her sister-in-law, Anne Sheff of Broomfield, Colo.; aunt Elizabeth Shreffler of Twin Oaks, Mo.; uncle Craig Downing of Sigourney; as well as two nephews, Kevin Downing of Broomfield, Colo., and Kent Downing of Colorado Springs, Colo.; three step-nephews, Roger Sheff of Westminster, Colo., David Sheff of Commerce City, Colo., and Kelly Sheff of Ft. Collins, Colo.; and numerous cousins.  Barbara was preceded in death by her parents; brother Jerry Downing; and sister Sharon Shaw.

Arrangements will be handled by Oakcrest Funeral Services. Condolences may be left at www.oakcrestfuneralservices.com.