BARRYANN MARTENS

Barryann was born in Canton, Oklahoma on March 28, 1937, to her father, Thomas Loren Phelps and mother, Rosa May (Kimball) Phelps. Barryann attended server schools, as her father worked for the U.S. Gypsum Plants in Oklahoma, Utah, and Iowa. She graduated from Fort Dodge, Iowa high school and attended the community college for two years.

Barryann married Larry Loots in Fort Dodge and they moved to Kansas City, Missouri. She had two sons, Timothy Loots and Thomas Loots and later separated from Larry.

Barryann married Dennis Martens on June 10, 1972, in the Lord of Love Lutheran Church in Belton, Missouri and they moved to a farm near Stet in the northeast area of Ray County, Missouri. Dennis had three children and the couple treated all five children as if they were born to their marriage. They actively farmed for 25 years, maturing the children, planting crops, and raising hogs and cattle. While farming, Barryann and Dennis continued to maintain professional careers that had them commuting together to Kansas City. Later, in 1996, they moved to Lawson, Missouri, and continued commuting to Kansas City until they each retired.

The couple are members of Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church in Excelsior Springs, Missouri, where Barryann was active in many church activities. Through the years, Barrryann enjoyed traveling, either joining Dennis on business trips, or as the couple vacationed. Their travels took them to the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, the Great Lakes, the Gulf of Mexico, Hawaii, and three Canadian Providences. Regrettably, Barryann had yet to visit one state of particular interest, Alaska.

Barryann’s professional career included stops at various companies in Kansas City before arriving at Butler Buildings where she was a valued customer service representative. She retired from Butler after three decades of service.

Barryann was preceded in death by her parents and one brother. She is survived by her husband, Dennis Martens; two brothers, Marquis Phelps of Grove, Oklahoma, and Ronald Phelps, of Webster City, Iowa; five children, Timothy Loots, of Kansas City, Missouri, Thomas Loots, of Kansas City, Kansas, Kim Martens, or Pella, Iowa, Kathy (Martens) Fields, of Washington, Iowa, and Mike Martens, of Leawood, Kansas; ten grandchildren, and eight great grandchildren.

Barry loved her children and kept the family foremost in her life. She will be greatly missed, and she will be remembered by all as a loving and kind person.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks for donations to the LWML at Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church.

Arrangements: Bross & Spidle Funeral Home, Excelsior Springs, MO (816) 630-3131