Barbara Joyce (Figel) Walters

Barbara “Barb” Joyce Walters, 80, of Bemidji, MN died Thursday, March 29, 2018 at Neilson Place, Bemidji.

Memorial Services will be 10:30 a.m., Wednesday, April 4, 2018 at the Olson-Schwartz Funeral Home, Bemidji with Pastor Genelle Netland officiating. Family will greet friends one hour prior to the service at the funeral home. Inurnment will be in Greenwood Cemetery, Bemidji

Barbara Joyce Figel was born May 3, 1937 in Bemidji to John and Jeanette (Letourneau) Figel. She went through grade school at Central Elementary School and graduated from Bemidji High School in 1955. After graduation she contracted T.B. and spent a year and had surgery at Ah-Gwah-Ching Sanitarium in Walker. Barbara married Dale VanHouse in 1956 and they had 4 children. They divorced in 1964. She attended Bemidji Area Vo-Tech in the LPN Nursing program and graduated in 1971. She worked her entire career in long term care facilities before retiring in 1994. In 1987 she married Richard Walters, he passed in 2003. Barb enjoyed visiting and helping out her friends. She had a great sense of humor, which was one of her best features. Barb enjoyed old movies, collecting Elvis memorabilia, had a porcelain shoe collection, and loved camping and vacations with family. Barb really enjoyed her Northland Apartment friends where she lived, especially Rita Taylor who was like a sister to her.

Her joy was her 4 children, Dale VanHouse, Dee-Dee VanHouse, Sherry Schmickle, all of Bemidji and Mickey (Kevin) Richardson of Lonsdale;  3 grandchildren, Shayne, Dylan and Desiree “Chickerina”; 4 great-grandchildren, Joshua, Kylie, Cash and Waylon; special friend, Rita Taylor; 4 step-children, Mark (Joanna) Doty of Hines, Fran (Rick) Moore, Janet (Tom) Pease and Rick Walters all of Clinton, IA and her special cat, Dolly.

She was preceded in death by her parents, John and Jeanette Figel and husbands, Dale VanHouse and Richard Walters.

Memorials are preferred to the Beltrami County Humane Society.

Online guestbook at www.OlsonSchwartzFuneralHome.com

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