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<\/a>Phyllis with kids Dale, Linda, Starlet<\/p><\/div>\n
OK, let\u2019s get back to Phyllis, who started all this!\u00a0 Before I tell you about my \u2018interview\u2019 with her, you need to know this about her: Most people who spend any time with her say, \u201cI hope I\u2019m that sharp when I\u2019m her age\u201d<\/strong>.\u00a0 I\u2019m going to amend that by saying \u201cI wish I was that sharp NOW!\u201d<\/p>\n I sat down with my delightful mother-in-law, who is surely one of the sweetest people you would ever meet, while in Rochester to have her talk about her long life:<\/p>\n Sydney, The Cobbs: Gene, Will, Garrett, Denise<\/p><\/div>\n The Brummers: Andrew, Jacob, Dan, Nicole, Lauren and Donnie<\/p><\/div>\n She was born in a farmhouse, not a hospital, in Lanora, MN<\/strong>, weighing 12 pounds \u2013 quite large for someone who now weighs less than 100 pounds!\u00a0 Her mom and dad owned a farm that had pigs, chickens and cattle.\u00a0 Their house had no electricity, as light was provided by kerosene lamps. They also had no refrigerator and not even an ice box, they cooled their food by putting it in a jar and putting the jar in cool water.<\/p>\n She started school at four years old; the school was called the \u2018Cigar Box\u2019<\/strong> and had 12 seats, although there were only five students.\u00a0 She graduated from nearby Canton High School<\/strong> and after graduation went to \u2018Teacher Training School\u2019 <\/strong>and became a teacher after one year.\u00a0 She met and married Warren Barnes<\/strong> in 1945 when she was 19. \u00a0Their house had no inside toilets, that wouldn\u2019t come until 1954.<\/p>\n After Warren filled his military obligation and got out of the service in 1946, they moved from northern California, where he was stationed, to Minnesota and bought her parents\u2019 dairy farm<\/strong> which they worked for the next 25 years, milking 20 jersey cows twice every day<\/u>, 6:00 in the morning and 6:00 in the evening \u2013 weekend, holiday . . . everyday!\u00a0 They were involved in the church and many local community activities with their three kids, Starlet, Dale and Linda.<\/p>\n At five years old, Linda, sang at the county fair and a few years later, was asked to be a square dance caller at the Texas National Square Dance Convention.\u00a0 Ultimately, her older siblings joined her to form the Barnes Trio<\/strong>, who sang all over Minnesota and won many singing contests.<\/p>\n After selling the farm Warren & Phyllis moved to Minneapolis and Phyllis worked 16 years for Controlled Data putting circuit boards together and Warren worked 20 years for International Paper.\u00a0 They then retired and spent winters in Arizona for the next 24 years.<\/p>\n The Kleins: Anna, Paul, Debbie<\/p><\/div>\n Phyllis now resides in Homestead \u2018Assisted Living\u2019 Facility<\/strong> in Rochester, where she plays cards (500 and cribbage) every day, she also goes to exercise class, sometimes leads it!\u00a0 Additionally, she goes to \u2018coffee & chat\u2019 and plays bingo twice a week, and enjoys the outside entertainment that comes in twice a month.<\/p>\n I asked this incredible lady what the secret was to her long life.\u00a0 She said, \u201cGreat family, great friends and a positive attitude!\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n Favorite quote: <\/strong>I don\u2019t know if this is her favorite quote, but it\u2019s mine.\u00a0 When she was jokingly asked which son-in-law she liked better, Donnie or me, she replied: \u201cI don\u2019t like one any better than the other!\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u00a0HAPPY BIRTHDAY PHYLLIS, AND MANY MORE!<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" by Bob Sparrow Phyllis (McMillan) Barnes was born on June 11, 1926.\u00a0 She celebrated her 98th birthday in Rochester, Minnesota with her three children and their extended families.\u00a0 The event took place at daughter and son-in-law Starlet and Donnie Brummer’s … read more![\"\"](\"https:\/\/fromabirdseyeview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Phyllis-CU-300x296.jpg\")
<\/a>Phyllis (McMillan) Barnes<\/strong> was born on June 11, 1926.\u00a0 She celebrated her 98th<\/sup> birthday in Rochester, Minnesota<\/strong> with her three children and their extended families.\u00a0 The event took place at daughter and son-in-law Starlet and Donnie Brummer’s <\/strong>home.\u00a0 A quick review of Phyllis’ achievement-driven progeny is always interesting.\u00a0 The party included two of Starlet\u2019s daughters, Denise<\/strong>, who is an Advance Placement Calculus and Trigonometry teacher, and Debbie<\/strong>, who is a Doctor of Pharmacy in Minneapolis, her other daughter, not in attendance, Melissa<\/strong>, is an architect in Houston.\u00a0 Denise & Gene (who works in computer information systems) Cobb’s kids are Garrett<\/strong>, who is in a doctorate program in Huntsville, AL for aeronautical engineering; his girlfriend, Sydney<\/strong>, has a degree in Industrial Engineering.\u00a0 Daughter, Lindsay<\/strong> works in Washington DC for the United Nations Foundation, and son, Will,<\/strong> is at the University of Wisconsin in Electrical Engineering.\u00a0 Debbie and Paul (who has a degree in Architecture and Environmental Design) Klein’s kids are Anna<\/strong>, who graduated from Sacred Heart University in Connecticut with a Biology and Chemistry degree and was captain of the ice hockey team, and Ella,<\/strong> who is completing her degree in Biology and Chemistry at St. Benedict.\u00a0 Son, Matt, who was not in attendance works in finance for Edward Jones in Denver.\u00a0 Donnie’s son, Dan Brummer’s<\/strong> family was also in attendance, Dan also works in finance.\u00a0 How did I respond to all these \u2018brainiacs\u2019 around me when asked about my education?\u00a0 I whipped on my glasses (they make me look smarter), looked them straight in the eye, and said, “I am a college grad-u-ate – I have a degree in P.E.”, hoping that they would think those were initials for Physics & Engineering.\u00a0 Then I remembered how smart they were and also remembered an old Abe Lincoln<\/strong> quote,\u00a0 “Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and to remove all doubt”.<\/em><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/fromabirdseyeview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Cobbs-225x300.jpg\")
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