William Barrett's Obituary
Bill Barrett passed away Saturday, May 15, 2010 at Mercy Medical Center in Des Moines, Iowa. Bill was born in Mitchellville, Iowa, November 2, 1935 to his parents, Inez and William Barrett. Bill was raised in the Mitchellville and Des Moines area on the family farm. He was a graduate of Lincoln High School in Des Moines and Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa and was a member of the Iowa Air National Guard for several years. Bill married Helen Irelan on March 29, 1958. They started their life together on a farm near Norwalk, Iowa, where three children were born. In 1976, Bill and Helen purchased the Beanie Banks Farm near Seymour, Iowa, where they worked side by side for nearly 20 years before retiring in 1995. Following retirement, they made their home in Tucson, Arizona until 1999 when they moved to Des Moines. Bill and Helen spent their winters in Texas where they owned a home. Bill especially enjoyed fishing and for many years traveled to Canada with his buddies for their annual fishing trip. Bill became a premier Simmental cattle breeder. He was passionate about his cattle and earned H-B Simmentals, a respected name in the cattle industry. Bill was very proud to be the owner of the nationally recognized "Circle B Highrise" bull. He was a lifelong, devoted fan of the Atlanta Braves, even when they were in Milwaukee. It was pointless to call him during a televised Atlanta Braves baseball game. Bill enjoyed his children and grandchildren and attended their events when he could. Survivors include his wife of 52 years, Helen; daughter, Linda Moore (Andy Merritt); son, Matt (Jessica) Barrett; and daughter, Marcia (John) Banks; grandchildren, Adam and Ashly Moore, Tiffany, Jessica and Luis Barrett, John Daniel, Brent and Brennan Banks. He was preceded in death by his parents and one sister, Barbara. In agreement with Bill's wishes, cremation rights have been accorded. The family will greet friends from 5 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, May 19, at the Randolph Funeral Home in Seymour, Iowa. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be directed to the family in loving memory of Bill, 1232 Herold Avenue, Des Moines, Iowa, 50315. To send flowers or a memorial gift to the family of William Barrett please visit our Sympathy Store. Visitation MAY 19. 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM (CDT) Randolph Funeral Home 112 Lee StreetSeymour, IA 52590
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