Gwenivere Adele Barbee

Gwenivere Adele Barbee passed away peacefully into the arms of Jesus on January 26, 2023. She was born April 14, 1932 in New London, Iowa to the late Willis and Gladys (Graves) Hanks.

Gwen was preceded in death by her husband of 66 years, Orville; her sister, Bernita Devore; and her nephew, Kyle Devore. She is survived by her daughter, Nickie (Randy) Thompson and son, Kent (Denise) Barbee; her grandchildren, Chris (Jenni) Thompson, Gwen-Anne (Eric) Clyse, Nate Barbee, Katie Barbee, and Will (Morgan) Thompson; her great-grandchildren, Kaitlyn and McClane Thompson, Cole and Rhys Braeger, Grant Clyse, and soon-to-be-born great-granddaughter, Henley Thompson, arriving in July. She is further survived by her sister, Sylva Pemberton, her 4 nieces, and many friends she met and cherished through the years.

Gwen was a graduate of New London High School, where she was active in the Junior and Senior class plays, cheerleading, and all things that had to do with music (including playing the flute in band and participating in choirs and glee club). As a senior, she was named homecoming queen in 1949. Gwen completed one year at the former Parsons College in Fairfield, Iowa, before she met the love of her life, Orville Barbee, on a blind date. She and Orv were married 6 months later on July 1, 1951. Orv was deployed by the Army to Korea 16 days after their wedding and didn’t return until 2 years later. Their love carried them through this difficult time and never wavered throughout the 66 years they spent together. Orv and Gwen were both raised with farming backgrounds and after the war decided to follow in the family tradition and became farmers in southeast Iowa. Later, Orv was given the opportunity to work for Farm Bureau Insurance in Des Moines, where he eventually became Vice President of Sales and later Product Research Vice President. They decided to put down roots in the area for the remainder of their lives.

Gwen devoted her life to being a helpmate to Orv and later became a stay-at-home mother to Nickie and Kent, volunteering as their Girl Scout and Boy Scout leaders, homeroom mother, Sunday school teacher, and almost anything else she was asked to do. When Nickie and Kent were older, she became a teacher’s aide in the Carlisle School District.

Gwen dearly loved her family and as that family grew, so did her love. Her favorite pastime was spending time with them all. She especially appreciated the different personalities and talents of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren and loved encouraging them in all they did. Gwen loved to read and enjoyed traveling with Orv and various friends through the years. They were able to travel all over the United States, as well as Europe, with their friends from Farm Bureau, and they enjoyed wintering in Florida and Arizona. She had a wonderful sense of humor and we will all miss her infectious laugh.

Gwen loved Jesus with all her heart. Her greatest legacy to her family is that she nurtured every single one of us through the eyes of Jesus, emulating how a child of God should behave. She volunteered at The Clothes Closet, a ministry providing free clothing for those in need, and also volunteered at Mercy Hospital, visiting patients to bless them with books or anything she felt they might need. For as long as her family can remember, she either participated in or taught Bible studies through the years, including Bible Study Fellowship. Even after she was diagnosed with dementia and up until the very end of her earthly life, she continued to show Jesus’ love and care to the residents and staff at Arbor Springs Memory Care.

There will be a Celebration of Life to honor Gwen on Saturday, June 10, 2023 at 2:00 p.m. at Hamilton’s on Westown Parkway, 3601 Westown Parkway in West Des Moines, IA with visitation prior from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. The family will also greet friends following the service. Gwen will be buried with Orville at the Iowa Veterans Cemetery in Van Meter on Friday, June 9 at 2:00 p.m.

The family would like to thank all the wonderful staff at Arbor Springs who gave such love and compassionate care to Gwen and our family over the past two years, as well as her team from Suncrest Hospice, who blessed us all so much over the past 3 weeks of her life.

Memorial contributions may be made to Arbor Springs Memory Care of West Des Moines, in memory of Gwen.

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