Barbara Repertinger

Barbara Anne Repertinger, 82, passed away Tuesday, October 6, 2015 at Bethany Life Manor in Story City, Iowa. A celebration of her life will be 10:30 a.m. on Monday, October 12 at Trinity Lutheran Church, Marshalltown, with Pastor Gregg Davison officiating. Burial will follow in the Rose Hill Memorial Gardens. Visitation will be at Mitchell Fammily Funeral Home on Sunday, October 11 from 2:00 4:00 p.m. with family present. Memorials may be directed to the Animal Rescue League or the House of Compassion. Barbara was born in Mason City, Iowa, on July 19, 1933, the daughter of Ruth Howell Peters and Robert Berg. She moved to Marshalltown as a young child. Barbara graduated with honors from Marshalltown High School with the class of 1951. She worked at Securities Acceptance Corporation until she married Douglas Robert Meyer in 1952. Barbara happily became a full-time wife and mother to Kathy, David, and Nancy. She would have remained a homemaker had her life circumstances not changed in 1974. After she divorced, Barbara completed training and worked as a Homemaker Health Aide until fall 1975 when she enrolled at Marshalltown Community College. Taking advanced courses, Barbara earned a two-year secretarial science degree in one year and graduated with honors in spring 1976. David and Nancy were MCC students during this time, and Barbara described this year as a memorable one. Following graduation, Barbara worked at Social Security Administration from October 1976 until March 1982, when she accepted employment at the Iowa Veterans Home. From 1982 until her 2002 retirement, Barbara was a devoted employee who supported the IVH mission of caring for Americas veterans. There she met John Joseph Repertinger, a drug-abuse counselor, and they married September 14, 1985. Johns two children, Steve and Susan, became part of her family. Throughout her life, Barbaras hobbies revolved around home and family. She enjoyed gardening, flowers, cooking, traveling with John, and was a talented seamstress, making Kathys wedding gown, hand-stitching hundreds of pearls. Her love of cats began with a tabby named Fred. Countless outdoor strays became family whenever they asked for a home and wanted to be loved. Barbara personified what it means to be a mother. Her life-long self-sacrifice to benefit and support her children is her lasting legacy. Barbara was a devoted and loving grandmother to Ryan, Jonathan, Kelsey, and Nicholas. She felt especially blessed with her two great-granddaughters, Lillian and Evelyn. Barbaras last days were spent reminiscing about her family and how much she loved them. Life without Barbara will never be the same for daughters Kathy (Frank) Drey and Nancy Meyer-Davis; sister Sharon Richter; step-son Steve Repertinger; grandchildren Ryan (Erin); Jonathan (Nicole) Meyer; Kelsey (Walker) Seim; Nicholas Meyer; Jen Kopriva; Alli (Brock) Johnson; and great-granddaughters Lillian and Evelyn. Preceding Barbara in death were beloved son David Douglas Meyer; mother Ruth Peters; grandparents Mollie and Edmund Howell; husband John Repertinger; and step-daughter Susan.