Barbara Kriens

Barbara Rheon Hensley Kriens went home to be with her Lord on Tuesday, March 20 at the Kavanagh House on 56th Street. Funeral services will be held at 10:30 am Saturday at Indianola Heights Evangelical Free Church. Visitation will be held from 5 to 8pm Friday at Hamilton’s Southtown Funeral Home. A graveside service will be held at Rose Hill Cemetery in Grundy Center at 2:30 pm Saturday.
Barbara was born February 15, 1937 in Iowa City. She lived most of her life in Grundy Center. She was the daughter of Rhea and Jasper Hensley. Barbara married Don Kriens on January 29, 1960 and lived in St. Joseph, MO. They raised two children, Diane, Kathy. Her husband died in a sky diving accident on December 14, 1963. She then moved back to Grundy Center where their son, Donald was born. She worked at Christos as a waitress until 1987. After the death of her mother she moved to Mesa, AZ to be with her daughter, Diane and husband, Marty and two grandchildren, Scott and Sarah and son Donald. She worked as a waitress at Fountain Hills Country Club in Fountain Hills, AZ. In 1991 she followed her family back to Iowa to be with her family and grandchildren. She worked as a waitress at the Wakonda Country Club until her illness caused her to retire in 2006. She spent the last four months of her life living in the home of her daughter, Diane and son-in-law, Marty in Cherokee. On March 14, 2007 she was brought back to Des Moines to continue her care at the Kavanagh Hospice Center of Iowa.
She was a lifetime member of her churches and an active volunteer and a faithful and devoted servant to her Lord, Jesus Christ. She used her cancer as a testimony of God’s goodness and purpose. Laughter and a positive outlook made her a joyful person and beloved by her family and friends. She will be missed by all who loved her.
Barbara is survived by her 2 daughters, Diane Wrage and son-in-law, Marty of Cherokee, Kathy Sheets of Des Moines, her son, Donald Kriens and wife, Tina of Albian, IA; 6 grandchildren, Sarah and Scott Wrage, Mahalie and Logan Sheets, James and Dierdre Kriens; 1 sister, Bonnie Briggs of Waverly. She was preceded in death by her parents and her husband, Donald D. Kriens
Memorials are suggested to her family to be given later to Hospice.

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