Eleanor G. Barnes, 90, Of Ball Club, Minn. passed away Wednesday August 5th at the Homestead living and rehab center in Deer River, Minn.
She was born January 27, 1930 in Foley, Minn. to John and Lenore Rafinski. They moved to the Ball Club area south of Willow Beach by the Mississippi river. Eleanor married Frank Barnes on Feb. 26 1952, and they moved to the Barnes Homestead on the Leech river. They did everything together. She was a good wife, mother & grandmother. Anyone who knew her knew she was very strong willed. She was more of an outdoor person than indoor. The farm kept everyone busy. But the fall of the year she really loved, she loved all types of hunting and trapping and picking wild rice, pine cones and making Christmas tree wreaths. Deer season was a favorite of hers, she was a perfect shot with her 30-30, she killed many nice bucks over the years.
During the winter time she loved to be in her spear house on Ball Club Lake with her trusty spear and homemade decoys. She always enjoyed that, she would always come home with some pretty big northern pike and nice whitefish, she would usually smoke the whitefish. They were always the best. She struggled with rheumatoid arthritis all of her life, it was a struggle but she always managed well. In July of 1969 her husband passed away of a heart attack. In 1973 she married Frank Hutchinson of Floodwood Minn. They were together until his death in 1996 at the age of 103.
She is proceeded in death by her parents, first husband Frank Barnes and second husband Frank Hutchinson, three brothers and two sisters.
She is survived by her son Lonnie; two grandchildren Matt and April; two great grandchildren, Grace and Douglas; two sisters Gertrude and Lillian; and many nieces and nephews.
Eleanor will be greatly missed by her family and friends.
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