Barbara Newingham

Barbara E. Newingham, age 86 of Beardstown, died Sunday, December 9, 2018 at the Illinois Veteran´s Home in Quincy.

She was born September 24, 1932 in Beardstown, the daughter of Wilbert Lee and Margaret Irene Foster Newingham.

She is survived by her sister Kathy (husband Richard) Crum of Rushville; and several nieces, nephews, and cousins. She was preceded in death by her parents, her brother Joe Newingham, and her sister Kaye Smedley.

Barb graduated from Beardstown High School in the class of 1949, and then attended Our Saviors School of Nursing and graduated as a Registered Nurse. She worked as the Cass County Health and TB Nurse and then joined the United States Air Force and served as a field nurse during Vietnam, where she logged over 1000 hours as an AirVac nurse during the war. She then left the Air Force and worked at Fitzsimmons Army Hospital in Denver, where she retired as a Major. Barb enjoyed clowns, golfing and bowling, watching the St. Louis Cardinals and Denver Broncos, and reading late in to the night. She was a member of St. Alexius Catholic Church in Beardstown, Beardstown Exchange Club and Guthrie-Pierce VFW Post #1239 in Beardstown. She was known to her family as the Keeper of the Family, and she will be greatly missed by all.

A Funeral Mass will be held at 11 AM Wednesday, December 12, 2018 at St. Alexius Catholic Church in Beardstown. Burial will be in the St. Alexius Catholic Cemetery, where military honors will be conducted by Guthrie-Pierce VFW Post #1239 of Beardstown. A visitation will be held at 9 AM Wednesday at Colwell Memorial Home in Beardstown. A rosary service will be held at 10:15 AM at the memorial home on Wednesday.

Memorials have been suggested to Guthrie-Pierce VFW Post #1239 or to Illinois Veterans Home in Quincy. Condolences may be left online at www.colwellmemorialhome.com or on Facebook at Colwell Memorial Home.