Elizabeth J. "Jo" "Boppie" (Barnes) Norr

Elizabeth J. "Jo" "Boppie" (Barnes) Norr, 84, of Battle Creek died peacefully in Sidney, Ohio on Monday morning February 3, 2014. She was born in Lawrenceburg, Indiana on September 29, 1929 the daughter of William D. and Mary E. (McClure) McDaniel. Elizabeth graduated from Ben Davis High School in Indianapolis and furthered her education at Butler University. Over the years she worked at Snyders, United Community Services, Consumers Power and for many years assisted her husband, Harvey, with his Optical business, "Norr Optical" in Battle Creek and Kalamazoo.

Elizabeth married Ralph Barnes Jr. in 1948 and together they were blessed with 3 wonderful children, Robert "Bob", LuAnn "Lu" and Melinda. The five of them moved to Battle Creek in 1965 and sadly shortly after, Ralph suddenly preceded her in death on October 8, 1965, leaving her with 3 little children. Elizabeth then married Harvey A. Norr in 1970 and together they enjoyed 35 wonderful years of marriage; he sadly preceded her in death on January 26, 2005. She was also preceded in death by her son, Robert "Bob" Barnes in 2007; her daughter LuAnn "Lu" Barnes-Williams in 2008 and a brother, William D. McDaniel Jr. Elizabeth is survived by her daughter, Melinda (Marvin) Shelton; Harvey's children, Sheila (Richard) Olds and Robert (Barbara) Norr; 12 grandchildren, Jonathon and Justin (Jessie) Barnes, Erik (Linda) & Kyle (Megan) Shelton, Brian, Steven & Andrew Barnes, Wendy Olds, Traci (Bryan) Rogers, Michael Norr, Michelle (James) Creech and Justin Norr; a sister, Marjorie Shockley; her great-grandchildren, Erik Alan, Kayla, Austin, Maddox, her favorite dogs, Beezee and Buddy, and several nieces, nephews and wonderful friends.

Elizabeth truly loved her family and spending as much time with them as she could. No matter what life chose to give her, she always stayed strong in her faith and made sure her family knew how much she loved them and supported them. Surviving the loss of two husbands and two children is a testament to how strong her faith in God truly was. A true lover of God and music, Elizabeth was an accomplished whistler who performed in various church programs in the area as a speaker and whistler of Christian Music. She loved to read and spend time in God's word and daily devotionals.

She was a dedicated member of the Lakeview Baptist Church for many years, serving on the Diaconate and many other church committees. She was also a life-member of the DAV and Purple Heart Auxiliaries, O.E.S. Chapter #513 in Bridgeport, Indiana, and was a member of the former Battle Creek Lioness Club.

The family will receive friends from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m., Sunday, February 9, 2014 at the Farley-Estes & Dowdle Funeral Home where funeral services to celebrate her beautiful life will be held 1:00 p.m., Monday, February 10, 2014. Interment will follow at Memorial Park Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, please consider making donations to the Overflow Christian Community Development Association (OCCDA) 510 W. Main Street, Benton Harbor, MI 49022 or the Shriners Hospital for Children 2211 North Oak Park Avenue, Chicago, IL 60707. Personal messages for the family may be placed at www.farleyestesdowdle.com.