Venice Barr

Venice N. Barr, 87, Independence, MO, died Tuesday, January 19, 2010, at The Groves on the 64th anniversary of her marriage. Services will be at 10:00 am, Friday, January 22, at Carson-Speaks Midtown Chapel, 1501 W. Lexington, Independence; Burial in Mt. Washington Cemetery. Visitation will be 6-8:00 pm on Thursday at the Chapel. Mrs. Barr was born March 21, 1922, in Hyrum, UT, to Edgar and Delorma Nielsen. She had previously lived in Ogden, Logan, and Hyrum, UT, before moving to Independence. After high school she attended the LDS Business School in Ogden, UT. She married Charles B. Barr and they had three children together, making their home in Independence. She was a faithful member of the Independence First Ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and held many callings. She was a dedicated homemaker and loved to host family gatherings. She provided many extras for her family by canning, gardening, sewing, cooking, cake decorating, candy making, and handwork. Venice loved genealogy and worked on locating information for her own family and also volunteered for years at the Independence Stake Genealogical Library. Venice was preceded in death by her husband, Charles Barr in 2005, her son Robert Barr in 2007, granddaughter Kathlene Williams, and brothers and sisters, Arlene Larsen, Grant Nielsen, Clark Nielsen, Jean Read, Lee Nielsen, Maxine Larson, and Aller Jay Nielsen. She is survived by two daughters, Arlene M. Williams and her husband Wayne, of Eagle Mountain, UT, and Ruth B. Speaks and her husband Bob, of Lee’s Summit, MO, and daughter-in-law Melody Barr, Arkansas City, KS; 10 grandchildren; 4 step-grandchildren; and 15 great-grandchildren; and 3 brothers, Don Nielsen, Salt Lake City, UT, Paul Nielsen, Hyrum, UT, and Jerry Nielsen, Greer, S.C.; and many other loving relatives and friends. Online condolences may be left for the family at www.speakschapel.com. Venice will be loved and missed by her family and all who knew her.