Margaret C. Barnes

Funeral services and Mass of Christian Burial for Margaret C. (Margie) Barnes, 89, of Davenport, will be 10 a.m. Wednesday, January 4, 2023 at St. Anthony’s Catholic Church, Davenport.  Burial will be in Mt. Calvary Cemetery, Davenport. Visitation will be Tuesday from 4 until 7 p.m. at the Halligan-McCabe-DeVries Funeral Home, Davenport with a prayer service offered at 7 p.m.  There will be additional visitation Wednesday from 9 a.m. until the time of the 10:00 mass in the parish center at St. Anthony’s church.  In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital or St. Anthony Catholic Church.

Margaret died Wednesday, December 28, 2022 after a brief illness at Genesis East, Davenport. She was surrounded by her family at the time of her passing.

Margaret Catherine Mayer was born on January 4, 1933 in Chicago, Illinois, to her father, Anton Mayer and her mother, Lena (Kerner) Mayer who passed when Margaret was two years old.  God’s grace provided another mother to Marge, Anna Mayer who raised her as her own.  Marge graduated from St. Paul the Apostle Grade School and Immaculate Conception High School in Davenport and Steven’s College in Chicago, Illinois.

Margaret was united in marriage to Thomas J. Barnes on August 28, 1954 at St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church in Davenport.  Tom preceded Marge in death on May 19, 2005 after 51 years of marriage.

Margaret was an administrative assistant at area law firm until accepting a position for 25-plus years as the School Board secretary for the Davenport Community School District, retiring from such in the mid 1990’s.

Margaret was an avid reader. She held deep convictions within her Catholic faith, beginning each morning with prayer and devotion. Margaret’s actions and words mirrored her faith.

Her life was filled with love as a mother to her eight children. She adored her large family,  cooking wonderful meals and keeping the family home well decorated and organized.  She was a domestic goddess!  Marge balanced her life well as a full-time working mother, close parenting and homemaker. Fond memories were made on the Barnes’ family houseboat where they spent many days on the Mississippi River, and during yearly vacations to the Minnesota Lakes.  Following retirement, Marge and Tom spent 25 winters in Sarasota, Florida enjoying the ocean and weather.

Marge is survived by her daughters and their spouses: Jean (Ron) Mears, Overland Park, Kansas, Mary Cofran, Annapolis, Maryland, Polly (Peter) Voelliger, Davenport, Ann (Steve) DeGroote, Urbandale, and Patricia (Kevin) Morgan, Davenport; sons and their spouses, Joe (Jane) Barnes, Dallas, Texas, Tom “Kelly” Barnes, Davenport, and Dan (Jeannette) Barnes, Urbandale, Iowa; twenty loving grandchildren, six great-grandchildren, a brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Gerald (Valerie) Barnes, Davenport, and many nieces and nephews. Margaret had many friendships as she lived most of her life in Davenport. The family wishes to give special thanks to her dear friends Jerry and Sue Lynch of Bettendorf for their loyalty to our Mom-Margaret.

In addition to her husband, Tom, Marge was preceded in death by a grandson, Daniel Paul Barnes, her parents, and brothers, Tony Mayer and Jack Mayer.  May they rest in peace.