John Rex Macpherson, 61, of Libby
John Rex Macpherson, 61, passed away peacefully Friday, August 25, 2023, at his home in Libby, Montana. John was born January 3, 1962, to Carol and Phillip Macpherson in Minneapolis, Minnesota. His family moved to Libby while he was in grade school.
John’s trade of choice was mechanics. He worked on cars and moved up to working on semi-trucks/trailers. He eventually went on to become part of management for CHS. He moved up the management ladder at CHS becoming the Transportation Department Manager.
He was at home in the outdoors. He loved to hunt and fish. He loved spending time with his family and enjoyed his grandchildren. John married Ruth Goyen on March 15, 1986, in Sioux Falls, SD.
John is preceded in death by his father Phillip Macpherson.
John is survived by his mother Carol Landa of Lethbridge, Alberta Canada; his wife Ruth Macpherson; 5 siblings Chuck, Coline (Pete), Tom (Steve), Dawn, Dan (Lorelei); 5 children Fawn (Bill), Kasper (Jennifer), April Rose (Jon), Stephanie, Logan (Jessica); 12 grandchildren Sierra (Drew), Brayden, Zoey, Ben, Bethany, Blake, Micah (Erica), Dontau, Jonathan, Justin, Trevor, Tyler; and 1 great grandchild Haven.
There will be a Celebration of Life at Firemen’s Park in Libby, Montana, on Saturday, September 9, 2023, at 1 pm. Potluck to follow at the park. If you wish to make a donation, please donate to our GoFundMe page https://gofund.me/3e1c70f4. Arrangements are under the care of the Schnackenberg Funeral Home of Libby. Memorials and condolences may be shared by visiting www.schnackenbergfh.com.
Cynthia Ruth Barnes, 87, of Libby
Our wonderful mother, Cynthia Ruth Barnes, went home to Jesus on June 22, 2023 at age 87 in Whitefish, Montana. She lived a very full and adventurous life, sharing with many others her love for life and Jesus all along the way. Although reunited with family and friends in heaven she will be missed by many here on earth.
Ruth was born on February 13, 1936 in Wilton, Alabama to Daniel George and Esther Katherine Berg. Years later, Ruth remembered that the fee for a local doctor to visit their home for her delivery was five cents. She always said she cost a nickel. In a poem written by her father in 1983, he described her birth as “Here Ruth graced our home, precious blessing, we praised our dear Lord with nothing distressing.”
Since her parents were travelling missionaries with the Christian and Missionary Alliance denomination, Ruth’s family moved frequently, with her first relocation to Los Angeles, California occurring at the age of three weeks. Throughout her childhood, Ruth’s family lived in different locations throughout the United States, with Arizona eventually becoming home.
In 1945, Ruth’s family moved to Chicago to assist in the ministry of Pacific Garden Mission, which remains today as an important resource for inner-city residents. Although she began playing the piano at age five, it was in Chicago that Ruth began formal piano lessons, leading to a lifetime love for music. When Ruth was in the eighth grade, she and her brother Paul, who later became an accomplished trumpet player, auditioned with 100 other participants and were selected to play at the Chicago Opera House for a Youth for Christ convention. For this occasion, Ruth composed a medley arrangement of “Christ for Us” and “There’s Power in the Blood,” which of course included transitions. The performance of Ruth and Paul opened many concert opportunities throughout the Chicago metropolitan area. One great love of her life was to share Jesus through her music. During her long and productive life, Ruth was an accomplished pianist in both classical and church music, and she played in many venues throughout the world. Her spirit of adventure never left her, and we are sure her middle name of “Go.”
Following their time in Chicago, Ruth and her family returned to Arizona, where she graduated in 1953 from North Phoenix High School. After a summer job at Pacific Garden Mission, Ruth returned to Arizona and enrolled at Grand Canyon College on a piano scholarship. While a student at Grand Canyon, Ruth met the love of her lifetime, Ernest Richard (Dick Barnes) who was a senior from San Diego, California. They soon married and moved to San Francisco, where Dick attended Golden Gate Seminary in preparation for a career in pastoral ministry and teaching. In addition to being a full-time pastor’s wife, and the mother of four children, Ruth taught in the public school systems of Arizona and California for 35 years, touching the lives of many, many students. Along her professional career path, Ruth earned a Master’s Degree in education and enjoyed significant personal and professional success.
The 67 year marriage of Ruth and Dick ended only with his passing at age 88 in December, 2021. Ruth is survived by four daughters, Lynn Barnes-Johnson (Christopher) of Libby, Montana; Wynda Dobler (Gordon) of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho; Karen Osborne (Steve) and Suzie Wambeke (Tom) both of Whitefish, Montana, along with eleven grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. In addition to her beloved husband Dick, Ruth was pre-deceased by her parents, her brother Paul, and her sister Eva Marie.
A celebration of Ruth’s life, accompanied by recordings of her piano playing, will occur on October 21, 2023 from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm at Buffalo Hill Funeral Home, 1890 Highway 93 North, Kalispell, Montana. A reception will follow.