Barbra was the first of four children born to her parents Leonard & Annabelle.Growing up on a farm in the 1940's in Kearney was no bed of roses, times were hard, and it often boiled down to the survival of the fittest.So as a child Barbra developed a very strong character and will of her own, she was often at odds with her parents over certain aspects of her behavior.One of her favorite pastimes as a youngster was playing cards, usually for money, Leonard (Jr), her younger brother would often act as lookout while Barbra played, the winnings, if there was any, was shared and then usually spent by both of them, and I was told, thoroughly enjoyed.Barbra considered the gambling to be worth the risk; pocket money days were few and far between and needed subsidizing.At the age of 18 Barbra met Randolph, in keeping with her stubborn personality and against the advice of her parents they were married.As Barbra was soon to find out, it was not a marriage made in heaven spending almost all of her time alone struggling to bring up and look after two children.Barbra has had to face many hardships in her life, but she has battled on against all adversity, always continuing to display great courage and a truly fierce independent nature. Barbra was often heard to say, "If you make your own bed, you lie in it", she certainly never shirked away from that responsibility.For the best part of the last 30 years Barbra has lived in Olathe, she has always been a well thought of and respected person with a lot of friends, she regularly attended the Tuesday club where she enjoyed a good gossip, a game of bingo, and the social outings.Barbra's eldest Granddaughter, Taylor, lived with her until the onset of her illness; one of Barbra's greatest wishes was to see Taylor settled in a home of her own. Fortunately she lived to see that particular wish become a reality.It was during the latter part of Barbra's life that she was able to spread her wings and travel, she made several trips to Australia with Randolph, and she also visited a place in Greece called "Bodrum", on her return when asked "how was your holiday"? she replied, "I've been to boredom".Apart from talking about her funeral arrangements, I can recall that the other topic of conversation was her feelings of guilt regarding her illness, and how she wished that she wasn't such a burden to others.Barbra had some very specific wishes regarding her funeral, and she was in full control of all the decision making regarding the arrangements. Barbra particularly requested a open coffin, and it was her wish that when she reached the final stages of her illness, there were to be no visitors apart from her direct family.Her intention was not to hurt or offend, but to be allowed to die in peace and with dignity; she felt that to control ones own destiny as much as possible was paramount.Though it must have been very difficult at times, I hope Randolph will gain some comfort from knowing he was able to carry out Barbra's wishes, as I'm sure Barbra gained comfort in knowing that he would.There are far too many people to mention here today, but she wishes you all a fond farewell, and she told me if there is life after death where all is revealed, she will endeavor to pass on Saturday's winning lottery numbers to you.God Bless