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- [S927] Obituary.
Lula Barnes was the last of at least eight siblings born to James William and Minnie (Cotton) Barnes, who ran the Barnes Hotel and restaurant in Norris City, which catered to the freight trains that moved through town in south-central Illinois.
Lula left Norris City as a teenager for Evansville, Ind., where by 1930 she and her sister Myrtle were boarders in a house at 121 Heidelbach Ave. and both worked as stenographers at Servel Inc., which was becoming famous for its gas-powered refrigerator. Sometime in 1933-35, she got married to an Evansville man named Weigand Knerr, but it didn't work out. When he was joining the Army, he wanted Lula to stay with his mother. She didn?t want that. Lula didn?t speak much about the divorce, except when the subject of some colored dishes came up. Lula had used part of her paycheck each week to buy the dishes. ?He was trying to get those from her when they divorced,? recalled Marion Scism, her boss? wife, in 2007. ?I?ve never seen her so mad.?
At Servel, Lula became the secretary for Mark Scism, a material manager. It took a fair bit of personality, Mrs. Scism said: ?He was very hard to get along with, but she was just herself.? And Lula wouldn?t let anyone say anything bad about her boss, Mrs. Scism said.
Paul Walsh also worked for Scism and Paul and Lula became an item and married on March 25, 1944 at First Presbyterian Church in Lawrenceville, Ill. Servel had a policy against married couples working together, but everyone seemed to look the other way when it came to Paul and Lula. ?They were married, but not there,? Mrs. Scism said. ?I guess the bosses never said anything either because they did good work. I thought it was cute.?
Lula became pregnant in 1946 but lost the baby after 4 1/2 months. She and Paul never had children. When Scism took a job in Kankakee, Ill., he asked Paul and Lula to go with him. After about a year, they followed. Lula may have stopped working at that point or taken a job for a time at Gaines Pet Food in Kankakee, depending on varying accounts.
The Scisms and Walshes were close friends and socialized often. Mrs. Scism remembers her husband, an avid smoker, giving Lula a hard time about constantly cleaning ashtrays throughout the evening during a visit. He told her to wait until he left and then clean it up. ?She?d take all this from him because they were like brother and sister,? Mrs. Scism said.
Lula was very social and always dressed nicely, often with ribbons in her hair that matched her outfit. "She was in the bridge club, had golf friends," remembered Wes Walker, who knew Paul and Lula as executive director of the Kankakee Area YMCA in the 1970s.
After Paul retired from Roper Corp., he and Lula moved to Kentucky Lake near Paducah and built a nice house, but after a few years they moved back to Evansville where they were active in the Eagles Club.
Living alone into their 90s, they moved into an assisted living facility in about 2005. After Paul died in 2007, Lula lived in the facility, largely taking care of herself until she reached age 100. Finally, after a short illness, she died. ?Paul always said she?d be like her mother and outlive us all,? Mrs. Scism said.
- [S926] Find-A-Grave, (www.findagrave.com).
Lula Barnes Walsh
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Birth: Apr. 22, 1911
Norris City
White County
Illinois, USA
Death: Nov. 15, 2011
Evansville
Vanderburgh County
Indiana, USA
Lula Barnes was the last of at least eight siblings born to James William and Minnie (Cotton) Barnes, who ran the Barnes Hotel and restaurant in Norris City, which catered to the freight trains that moved through town in south-central Illinois.
Lula left Norris City as a teenager for Evansville, Ind., where by 1930 she and her sister Myrtle were boarders in a house at 121 Heidelbach Ave. and both worked as stenographers at Servel Inc., which was becoming famous for its gas-powered refrigerator. Sometime in 1933-35, she got married to an Evansville man named Weigand Knerr, but it didn't work out. When he was joining the Army, he wanted Lula to stay with his mother. She didn't want that. Lula didn't speak much about the divorce, except when the subject of some colored dishes came up. Lula had used part of her paycheck each week to buy the dishes. "He was trying to get those from her when they divorced," recalled Marion Scism, her boss' wife, in 2007. "I've never seen her so mad."
At Servel, Lula became the secretary for Mark Scism, a material manager. It took a fair bit of personality, Mrs. Scism said: "He was very hard to get along with, but she was just herself." And Lula wouldn't let anyone say anything bad about her boss, Mrs. Scism said.
Paul Walsh also worked for Scism and Paul and Lula became an item and married on March 25, 1944 at First Presbyterian Church in Lawrenceville, Ill. Servel had a policy against married couples working together, but everyone seemed to look the other way when it came to Paul and Lula. "They were married, but not there," Mrs. Scism said. "I guess the bosses never said anything either because they did good work. I thought it was cute."
Lula became pregnant in 1946 but lost the baby after 4 1/2 months. She and Paul never had children. When Scism took a job in Kankakee, Ill., he asked Paul and Lula to go with him. After about a year, they followed. Lula may have stopped working at that point or taken a job for a time at Gaines Pet Food in Kankakee, depending on varying accounts.
The Scisms and Walshes were close friends and socialized often. Mrs. Scism remembers her husband, an avid smoker, giving Lula a hard time about constantly cleaning ashtrays throughout the evening during a visit. He told her to wait until he left and then clean it up. "She'd take all this from him because they were like brother and sister," Mrs. Scism said.
Lula was very social and always dressed nicely, often with ribbons in her hair that matched her outfit. "She was in the bridge club, had golf friends," remembered Wes Walker, who knew Paul and Lula as executive director of the Kankakee Area YMCA in the 1970s.
After Paul retired from Roper Corp., he and Lula moved to Kentucky Lake near Paducah and built a nice house, but after a few years they moved back to Evansville where they were active in the Eagles Club.
Living alone into their 90s, they moved into an assisted living facility in about 2005. After Paul died in 2007, Lula lived in the facility, largely taking care of herself until she reached age 100. Finally, after a short illness, she died. "Paul always said she'd be like her mother and outlive us all," Mrs. Scism said.
OBITUARY
Evansville Courier & Press, Nov. 17, 2011:
Lula Walsh (1911 - 2011)
Lula B. Walsh
Evansville, IN
Lula B. Walsh, 100, of Evansville, passed away Tuesday, November 15, 2011, at Willow Park. She was born April 22, 1911, in Norris City, IL.
She was the youngest of ten children. She was raised in Norris City, IL and previously lived in Kankakee, IL. Lula worked at Servel for 17 years and was a member of St. Lucas United Church of Christ. She loved to read newspapers, play golf and dance. She was a former member of Lady Elks Club and Eagles Country Club.
Lula was preceded in death by her husband, Paul Walsh, on February 23, 2007.
She is survived by her nieces, Barbara Nielson of Norris City, IL, Bonnie Thompson of Trumbull, CT, Betty Kubiak of Lombard, IL, Karen Snare of Palatine, IL, Janet Baize of Evansville, Cheryl Lucas of Rio Vista, CA, Donna Russelburg and Melanie Walsh of Mesa, AZ.
Services will be 10:00 AM Friday, November 18, 2011, at Alexander East Chapel, officiated by Rev. Lynn Martin, with burial in Odd Fellows Cemetery in Norris City, IL. Friends may visit Friday from 9:00 AM until service time at the funeral home.
The family would like to thank the staff of Willow Park and give special thanks to Senior Helpers and Vista Care Hospice.
Memorial contributions may be made to St. Lucas United Church of Christ, 33 West Virginia Street, Evansville, IN 47710. Condolences may be made online at www.AlexanderEastChapel.com.
Family links:
Parents:
James William Barnes (1875 - 1935)
Minnie Ellen Cotton Barnes (1875 - 1968)
Spouse:
Paul Henry Walsh (1913 - 2007)*
Siblings:
Priestly George Barnes (1900 - 1983)*
Paul Barnes (1902 - 1984)*
Myrtle Barnes Springer (1907 - 1999)*
Loretta Lucille Barnes Baird (1909 - 1997)*
Lula Barnes Walsh (1911 - 2011)
*Calculated relationship
Note: Wed Paul
Burial:
IOOF Cemetery
Norris City
White County
Illinois, USA
Plot: L 8-R 20- Block B
Created by: Mike St
Record added: Dec 20, 2011
Find A Grave Memorial# 82208915
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1911 - 2011 (100 years)