Barbara "Barb" Cyrilla (Barnes) Anderson

           Barbara (“Barb”) Cyrilla Anderson, 83, died Sunday, July 28, 2024, at River Grand in Grand Rapids, MN.

          Born August 3, 1940, in Grand Rapids, she was the daughter of Horace C. and Corlin (Wethern) Barnes, who she enjoyed helping with their local printing and newspaper business, The Bovey Press. Early in her life, her family traveled around the country, including to California (where she developed her life-long love of avocados) and then to Wisconsin. The family later returned to Itasca County, where she met the love of her life, Harold Anderson, her childhood neighbor.  She was a 1958 graduate of Greenway High School. After attending college together and following each other on early teaching assignments, Barb and Harold Anderson were married on August 7, 1965, in Coleraine. Barb served as a teacher in the Greenway district for 34 years, where she loved bringing new topics to life for her students and learning from them and their perspectives. Never afraid to stand up on behalf of others, she was active in the Itasca County DFL and had been president of her local teacher’s union. She loved poetry, trees, family history, reading, card games, word puzzles, writing, and all things politics. Even though she hated to cook, she was famous in the family for (and could frequently be cajoled to make) her caramel rolls and her pickle rolls. Barb was a matriarch, a leader, a fighter for equality, a staunch believer in universal healthcare, and an inspiration to many.

          Her parents, Horace and Corlin Barnes, and her husband, Harold, preceded her in death.

          Survivors include her children Sherry Imbrogna (her daughters Elizabeth, Emily, and Elayna) and Daniel (Rhaya) Anderson (their children Kennedy and Mikhara); her nephew, Jon Anderson, who she loved as a son; her siblings, Michael Barnes and Pat (Rick) Decoster, and her many nieces and nephews that she delighted in visiting with.

          Visitation will be from 10:00 AM until the 11:00 AM celebration of life on Friday, August 2, 2024, in the Peterson Funeral Chapel of Coleraine. Interment will be in the Lakeview Cemetery, Coleraine. With her exuberant sense of humor, Barb believed that when you feel like you can either laugh or you can cry, she would always choose to laugh (even if it was seemingly an inappropriate moment to do so). Therefore, she asked that attendees wear bright colors to the services and suggested that they share a funny story of her. Arrangements are with the Peterson Funeral Chapel and Cremation Services of Coleraine. To leave an online message of condolence or your favorite memory of Barb, please visit our website at www.petersonfuneralchapelofcoleraine.com.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Barbara "Barb" Cyrilla (Barnes) Anderson, please visit our floral store.