Luella Enid Barnes

Luella Enid Sheffield was born September 5th, 1928 in Fairview, Oklahoma to Glenn & Thressa (Cole) Sheffield. She was third in line following her brothers Leonard & Wesley. Wilma June, Gene, and Ruth soon followed. When Luella was just 4 years old, she lost her sister, Wilma June. 

It was quite difficult to make a living in Oklahoma due to the Great Depression. Ultimately because of this and the Dust Bowl, they left for Oregon in an Oldsmobile with a trailer attached in 1937. Luella celebrated her 8th birthday in Nebraska while in route.  

In 1947, she met her future husband Milford “Mick” Barnes.   He had just gotten out of a hospital in Billings, Montana after over a year following a plane crash on his way home from World War II. He was one of 3 survivors on the plane.  They married on December 25th, 1947. Together they had four children - Sharon, Dianne, Jim, and Marie. Mick passed away in 1989, and Sharon in 2005. 

They settled in Jefferson, Oregon because other family already lived there.   Her younger siblings, Willard and Helen arrived soon after.   Today, Helen is the only surviving sibling.  However, she has been more like one of Luella’s kids as Luella helped raise her.  Helen spent a lot of time with Luella’s family since their father died when Helen was just 13.  

As a child, she was quite the tomboy chasing after her brothers.  She fondly recalls the time her brother was being ornery and threw a potato at her.  She ducked, and it went through a kitchen window.  Both she and Wesley got in trouble for that.  She was dared to jump off a cliff at the Oregon beach and she took the dare causing her dad anxiety on how to retrieve her.  She also loved to ride her bike, swim, roller-skate, and go to movies.   She saw the original “Gone With the Wind” when it came out.  

Luella has held many jobs over the years.  Her first job was at the age of 10 picking green beans in the fields.  After she graduated from Jefferson Oregon in 1946, she went to work in Salem at a place called “The Ink Spot” where she was a typist/bookkeeper/mimeograph operator.  She also worked in an elementary school kitchen and would bring home fresh cinnamon rolls for her kids,  In her later years, she worked for an optometrist in Albany.  She retired in 1988. 

Luella has been a lifelong member of the Church of God 7th Day and attended South Albany Community Church for the past 2 years of her life.   She was always involved in church activities to include teaching, Bible studies, secretary/treasurer, and attendance clerk.

Luella loved crafts of all kinds.   She was an excellent seamstress, knitter, crocheter, and gardener.   She was a great cook and canned fruits and vegetables every summer.

Survivors include her sister Helen (Ollie) Helgeson; daughters Dianne (Gene) Sanders of Albany and Marie Barnes of Bend; son Jim (Debie) Barnes of Plumas Lake, California; grandchildren Corey/Amanda Barnes, Sarah/Michael (Sanders) Smith, Jessee/Jennifer Barnes of Medford, Nathan/Veronica Sanders of Evans, GA, Elysse and Mikkayla Boarman of Portland, Nicole/Jake (Barnes) Ratajczak, and Mandi Barnes; great grandchildren Benjamin, Abigail, Charlotte, Hannalise, and Cayden.

A graveside service will be held on Friday, August 28, at 2 PM, at Willamette Memorial Park in Albany.   In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to Harrisburg Church of God 7th Day or Samaritan Evergreen Hospice House in Albany.   Masks/social distancing is requested.  If you need a chair, please bring one. 

AAsum-Dufour Funeral Home is handling the arrangements (www.aasum-dufour.com). 

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