Barbara Fries

Barbara Ann Pearson was born June 12, 1933, the daughter of Weimer Howard and Catherine Dorothea (Wesack) Pearson in Atlantic, Iowa, and passed away May 8, 2012, at Colonial Manor in Anita, Iowa.

She was raised in Anita and graduated from Anita High School in 1950. Barb attended Northwest Missouri State College for a year then taught at Lincoln #6 in 1951 and 1952.

Barb married Clifford Fries at Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Anita on July 26, 1953. The couple lived in South Gate, California, while Cliff was in the Air Force. In 1955 the couple returned to Anita. Barb then became a Kindergarten teacher for several years and was the first Kindergarten teacher at the "new "Anita Public School. In 1963 the family moved to Avoca where she taught Kindergarten half-days in Hancock.

In the spring of 1967 they moved back to Anita to sell and service appliances and lay floor coverings for Long's Furniture. About 1968, they became partners in the furniture business.
In 1972 they purchased their present home in Anita. Barb ran a daycare in her home until her retirement in 1998.

She was a member of Holy Cross Lutheran Church where she taught Sunday and Bible School. She also taught a religious class for the developmentally disabled at St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Atlantic. Barb was a member of the Anita American Legion Auxiliary, serving as a past president.

Barb loved children, teaching, and was a fantastic babysitter. She always had a smile for her kids and would cut apples in the shape of fish and butterflies for her daycare children. In her spare time, Barb enjoyed reading, cooking, baking, and dancing with Cliff. There was always music in her house, whether it was on the radio, record player, or Barb singing. She never knew a stranger.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Weimer and Catherine Pearson; her brother, John Pearson; her grandson, Michael Sample; her father and mother-in-law, Elmer and Kristine Fries; and her brothers-in-law Ronald Fries and Bob Pratt.

Barb is survived by her husband, Clifford Fries of Anita; her daughter, Kristen Fries-Sample of Anita; her sister, Rosemary (Verne) Davidson of Atlantic; her aunt, Sadie Wesack of Adair; her nephews, Ken (Alice) Davidson of Atlantic and Roger (Phuong) Davidson of New Albany, Ohio; her nieces, Catherine (Mike) Hut of Texas, Caren (Lynn) Miller and Carla (Woods) Prael all of Warrensburg, Missouri; her grandchildren, Andrew (Becky) McNeer of Scandinavia, Wisconsin, and Jennifer (Brian) McKenzie of Bondurant, Iowa; three great-grandchildren; sisters-in- law, Opal (Charles) Pratt Wharton of Aurelia, Iowa, Marlene Fries of Red Oak, Iowa, Mary Ellen (Norman) Pearson Wright of Marion, Iowa and numerous other relatives and family friends.
Visitation will be held at Hockenberry Funeral Home in Anita on Friday, May 11, from 5:00-7:00 p.m.


Funeral services will be Saturday, May 12, 2012, at 10:30 a.m. at Holy Cross Lutheran Church with burial in the Evergreen Cemetery in Anita, Iowa.


Hockenberry Family Care in Anita, Iowa, is in charge of the arrangements.