Obit: Klein, Barbara (1948 - 2015)

Contact: Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon
E-mail: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org 

Surnames: Klein, Van Rees, Viwatanavongsa, Sexton, Armstrong, Bozarth, Hickey, Jewett, Miller, Littlejohn

----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI) 6/10/2015

Klein, Barbara (27 February 1948 - 29 May 2015)

Barbara Klein, 67, of Enid, OK, passed from this life May 29, 2015, in Enid. She was born Feb. 27, 1948, in Searsboro, IA, to Henry and Rachel Hites.

She was raised and educated in Grinnell, IA, and attended Grinnell High school. In 1965, she married Clarence Van Rees in Pella, IA. The couple lived in Rockford and later in Belvidere, IL. From this union two children were born. She returned to Rockford where she was an administrative secretary for IPSE and married Tov Viwatanavongsa. They relocated to Dallas, then Houston and Yorba Linda, CA. From this union one child was born. She later married John Sexton and relocated to Temecula, CA. John preceded her in death.

She met James ‘Jim’ Klein in Temecula and they were married in Laughlin, NV, in 1999. They made their home in Temecula, then Ocean Springs, MS, and then New Auburn, MN, where she worked as the Carver County Public Works administrative secretary for 12 years. They moved to Enid, OK, to be near family. She worked as a customer service representative at Dillard’s in Enid.

She always loved people and was always giving.

She is survived by her husband, James; two sons, Curtis (Amy) Van Rees of Enid and Thanin Viwatanavongsa; daughter, Shelby Van Rees of California; four grandchildren: Jeffery (Molly) Van Rees, Alexis Van Rees, Desiree (Gregory) Armstrong, and Cynthia Bozarth; one great-grandchild, Sable Van Rees; six step-children, Sherry Hickey, Barbara Jewett, Christina Miller, Paul Klein, John Klein and Kelly Littlejohn; 16 step-grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, a brother Jack and sisters, Henrietta and Jean.

The funeral service for Barbara will be held privately in the Brown-Cummings Funeral Home Chapel in Enid with cremation to follow.

Memorials may be made in her name to the Salvation Army with Brown-Cummings Funeral Home serving as custodian of the funds. Condolences may be made to the family online at www.brown-cummings.com.