Katharine Barnes Obituary (1956 - 2004)

MOUNT VERNON - You probably couldn't find Kate Barnes in the crowd. That's because while the crowd was standing around talking, Kate was rolling up her sleeves and digging in for the benefit of the crowd. Sometimes it was literally digging, since gardening and harvesting fresh fruits and vegetables was a passion of hers, but that gardening hat had to share time with the nurturing of children. As a teacher, she helped many young people find the path toward lifelong learning. She even took that 'teaching' to Spain, where she did volunteer work teaching English to speakers of other languages. And for many others, she was a committed social justice advocate, spending many hours lobbying for a better human condition with her work for Habitat for Humanity as well as participating in rallies in Washington, adding her strong voice to benefit people in need. Her strength was also physical. An avid outdoorswoman, Kate and her family kept a camp on Torsey Lake, where she could be found kayaking with her daughter Marina and partner Terri, or resting momentarily in the hammock to read the latest novel on her list of significant literature before she took to the trail to run with her dogs. After that workout, she could be found in the kitchen whipping up her favorite shrimp-with-red-pepper-sauce meal, much to the delight of her huge circle of friends, which spanned from: Elgin, Ill., where she was born on Aug. 30, 1956, to parents Donna and Harry Barnes; to Iowa, where she earned a bachelor's degree in history and also played four years of collegiate volleyball and captained the team as well; to a house in North Aurora, Ill., where she practiced her professional wallpaper-hanging skills for her brother Dave and his wife, Donna Barnes; to Vermont, where she first taught history; to New Hampshire and Massachusetts, where she worked outdoors as a land surveyor and also as an interior decorator; and finally to Mount Vernon, where she became an active community member, taught school, and rehabbed the Cram House for her appreciative family. Ms. Barnes, 47, died as the result of an accident on May 15, 2004. Services will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday, May 18, at Knowlton & Hewins Funeral Home, 1 Church St., Augusta, with visitation to follow from 3-4:30 p.m. For information, call 1-866-623-8722 or visit http://www.khrfuneral-homes.com In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Mt. Vernon Elementary School Playground Fund.