Barbara Miner

On March 28, 2024, Barbara Ann Miner (nee Burke), passed away in Des Moines, Iowa, at the age of 79. She had been struggling with age-related health issues and could no longer fight that battle. Three of her children were at her bedside to bring her comfort and peace.

Barbara was born to Frank A. Burke and Margaret Madeline Ballard on June 17, 1944 at the US Naval Hospital in Bremerton, Washington. The family moved around, spending some time in the state of Nevada. She was joined by two younger brothers along the way, with the family settling down in Des Moines. There, she enjoyed her mother’s large extended family and gained an older sister.

In 1962, Barb graduated from Des Moines Technical High School and in 1963, she married her first husband, Ray Homan. She gave birth to her two daughters before that marriage was ended in 1968. She began her career with the US Postal Service in 1965, being one of only four women working at the Des Moines Main office.

On March 18, 1972, Barbara married the love of her life, Ray Edward Miner, also a postal worker. She gained two step-sons in the marriage, embracing both and treating them like her own children. In 1975, the couple purchased an acreage in a rural part of Indianola, Iowa, where they lived until 1994. After both retiring from the USPS a couple of years prior, they headed west to Pahrump, Nevada, where they enjoyed the constant sunshine. While spending the next 23 years in Pahrump, Barb held several part-time jobs to keep busy. She worked a couple of summers for the US Census Bureau, served as a bartender at a small, local casino and called bingo at a different small town casino. She had fond memories of each one. While living away from Iowa, Ray and Barb lost their youngest son to cancer. Merle was 47 years old.

In 2017, their daughters thought it was time to return to central Iowa, so that’s what they did. Ray and Barbara were back in Indianola once again, residing in town this time and quite happy to be surrounded by their family and friends. In 2020, Ray passed away after 49 years of marriage. Barbara truly missed Ray while she continued to live the next 4 years, enjoying the company of her family. She was a dedicated animal lover, taking many pets to Nevada in ’94 and bringing a new batch of pets back with her in 2017. She was also an avid reader, enjoyed watching the St. Louis Cardinal baseball games, and loved playing games, cards or otherwise. But the thing that made her the happiest was getting her family together and listening to her adult children and grandchildren banter, tease and toss insults all while laughing with and at each other. She will be missed.

Barbara is survived by her sister, Glenda Davidson, brothers Frank (Dieah) and Mike Burke, daughters Richele (Vince) Prichard and Ronna (Rob) Cross, son Mark (Rene) Miner and five grandchildren: Zach Miner, Ian and Paige Prichard and Dalten and Justin Cross. She was preceded in death by her parents Frank and Margaret Burke, husband Ray Miner and son Merle Ray Miner.

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