Paula Barnes

Paula was born July 13, 1962 in Jefferson City, Missouri to Charles and Clara (Luecke) Volmert. At 6 months of age, she and the family relocated to Columbia, where Paula would live most of the rest of her life. On March 17, 1984, she married Michael Barnes, and he survives.

Paula spent the majority of her working life in the restaurant and catering businesses, having started down that path by spending summers with her sister Mary in Iowa City, Iowa and working at the family restaurant, Hamburg Inn #2. She was also a skilled cake decorator, having attended the 2-week Wilton Master Class in Chicago.

Paula was also proud of her service as an election worker. She initially worked in her father’s place, then she became a supervisor when her mother passed in 2005.

Paula was active in Hospitality Ministry at the St. Thomas More Newman Center where she had been a parishioner since high school, as well as being an officer and active member of the Knights of Columbus Council 1529 Ladies Auxiliary.

In addition to her husband Michael, she is survived by her sisters, Mary C. Kate of Iowa City Iowa and Patricia Rieger of Kansas City, Missouri, as well as numerous nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Charles and Clara Volmert, Clara’s second husband Clarence Kempker, and her brother Michael Volmert of Wichita, Kansas.

Friends and family may gather at 2:00 PM on Friday, December 22 at St. Thomas More Newman Center, 602 Turner Ave. in Columbia. Mass of Christian Burial will immediately follow at 3:00 PM with Father Dan Merz presiding.