Angel Grace was born July 21, 1978, in Kansas City, Kansas.
At a very young age, Angel and 3 other siblings were placed in
foster care homes. The placement of 2 sisters was unknown to her, but
she fought to keep in contact with her baby brother Christopher Duane.
They were kept apart in separate foster homes, so Angel would run away,
seeking her brother to make sure he was okay. After running away
multiple times, a judge finally decided that these 2 siblings would be
placed no more than 20 miles apart and be allowed to see each other.
Christopher was her whole world and they shared a very special bond that
will continue on forever.
Angel moved between foster homes before coming to live with Derbin
and Sue Barnes in Phillipsburg, Kansas, in 1987, along with her little
brother Christopher. Angel was 9 and Christopher was 3. They were to be
adopted together and officially took the last name Barnes in 1989. This
period in life would later drive Angel’s desire to become a foster
parent.
Her love and passion for KU Basketball and collecting shoes began at
a young age. Throughout her school years, Angel was happy and outgoing,
active in athletics, music, band, and drama. In grade school, she
befriended Crystal Dawn Stacy, and then in high school Heather Hansen.
These 3 would become lifelong friends. Angel graduated from Phillipsburg
High School in 1997. After high school, she attended Bethel College at
Newton. Here she met and befriended Alycee Gullino, who would also
become a lifelong friend.
Angel was a protective and mothering friend, once cautioning Alycee
and another common friend against meeting a stranger they had found
online. He wanted to take the girls to see a band, and she worried he
might be a “crazed psycho." After they were back safely, and no harm
was done, they came to find out that this “crazed psycho” was actually a
mutual friend that Angel knew from back home. In fact, he was the local
pizza delivery guy, so her father Derbin already approved. He would
later become her husband.
Angel’s educational goals then took her to Colby Community College,
where she studied for only a semester before moving to Manhattan to be
nearer to her growing love, Jr Rice. The couple moved back to Kensington
and were united in marriage on July 10, 1999, at the United Church. With
this union, Angel gained Steve and JoAnn Rice as another set of
parents, and a new sister Staci. Yet, something was missing.
Searching for her Biological family, especially her 2 lost sisters,
became a special goal for Angel. Shortly after they married, Angel
managed to contact and reunite with long lost sister Sarah Fleming
Gleaton. It was very important for Angel to find this missing piece of
her family and her heart. They have stayed in touch ever since.
Caring for and helping others was always something Angel felt called
to do. And so, Jr and Angel were foster parents for several years.
They influenced numerous youth who entered their home. During this time,
Angel also worked as a CNA and med aide for various nursing homes,
hospitals, and agencies. Each patient and resident she came in contact
with was important and loved. She made a difference and made every
person feel special. Many patients would say she gave the very best care
they’d ever received. She loved them like family, but there was still
something missing. Something Angel wanted more than anything was to
become a mother, but was told by doctors that she may never be able to.
Angel had occasionally commented about wanting a redheaded child with freckles.
Jr and Angel were truly blessed when Kristal Ann Marie was born
December 27, 2003. Angel decided to be a stay at home mother. After a
period of time, she returned to work part-time at the Country Corner.
She worked there until they were again blessed when Gracie Lynn Nicole
joined the family on December 5, 2007. Angel was thrilled to finally
have one little girl with freckles and one with red hair.
She later went back to work as a traveling CNA, working in various
towns, until she began struggling with thyroid issues. She made the
decision to have her thyroid destroyed, then went to work at the Love’s
Travel Stop in Phillipsburg. Following this, she did return to CNA work
at the hospital in Smith Center where she worked for about 2 years.
Then, the opportunity arose and Angel was accepted to do a job she
had long dreamed of doing. Clara Barton had always been her hero and
role model. Working for the American Red Cross would become a reality.
Though COVID made things difficult, and she struggled through the
shutdown and restrictions to complete her training, she did so
successfully. Based out of Hays, she traveled with the Red Cross
providing blood drives in Kansas, Colorado, Oklahoma and even the
panhandle of Texas. In January of 2022, she transferred to Grand Island
and traveled throughout Nebraska doing Power Reds and was looking
forward to the next stage, training in plasma. She would regularly come
home with all the needle caps she had saved, holding out a handful to
show her family saying “Every one of these was 3 lives saved,” with a
gigantic smile on her face. She was finally doing the job she felt
called to do, that left her with a great sense of fulfillment. She
served the American Red Cross for a year and a half, helping save
numerous lives.
Special Memories…….
Angel loved and adored her 2 daughters, Kristal Ann (her “little
ladybug”) and Gracie Lynn (her “little dragonfly”), more than anything
in this world. She would always take her girls' side in all playful
arguments with their father, just so he had 3 girls to outnumber him (or
just for spite). She loved taking her girls to thrift stores, doing
their hair, painting their nails, and binge watching Disney movies.
Angel also thoroughly enjoyed watching Gracie engaged in sassy banter
with Jr, always prepared with witty comebacks, and the relationship
these two have. Although she despised having her photo taken, she did
not hesitate in taking pictures with her daughters. She also overcame
her anxiety of crowds to support her girls and attend all the school
functions and events possible.
She could not contain her laughter when someone mentioned the word
“Chair” due to witnessing Jr breaking 3 of them when sitting. Jr and
Angel made it a special point to have date nights together. They enjoyed
their trips out of town, whether for shopping or doctor's visits, they
valued this time together. While she was away for work, Angel would call
Jr everyday to have someone to talk to while she was driving and would
have him track her GPS location in case she ever got lost. (This may
have happened once or twice.) He was her “Superman” who took care of
things at home, kept her on track, supported her, and in most needed
times, be her “emotional support human."
Jr took great pleasure in making Angel’s special requests come true.
Such as taking her to see George Strait, Jeff Dunham, and watching KU
in-person at Allen Fieldhouse on a couple occasions.
Angel also cherished holding the title “coolest aunt” to all of her
nephews and niece: Jacob, Zach, Levi, and Lucas Barnes; Spencer, Tyler,
Lyndzie, Jordan, and James Kearn, and Cory Chippeaux. Her extra siblings
through marriage, Ricky Kearn and Erica Barnes, thought she was pretty
amazing too, and she valued her time spent with them.
Angel loved her animals and ducks dearly. 2 kids, 2 dogs, 2 ducks (that count as one), and tooooooo many cats!
She treasured her other best friend Charlie, a 2001 Mustang
convertible that has been wrecked and revived multiple times, ending
with a beloved custom paint job of glitter and butterfly seat covers.
She enjoyed watching conspiracy theory and ghost hunting shows, and of
course KU basketball, especially during tournament time. It was at your
own risk to go within 10 feet of her during tournament games, because
she REALLY got into the game and you could inadvertently get clobbered
or go deaf from her yelling and punching at the table. She ALMOST ruined
Jr’s new TV when he caught her taking a swing at it during a KU/K-State
game.
Angel enjoyed taking friends, like Brandi Cantrall, or her girls, on
quick trips to Sonic or those infamous midnight Love’s runs. Her Friday
night nachos from the Rusty Tractor became a ritual.
She made instant friends wherever she went, with many becoming more
like family, be it at work or play; including the rodeo, where she first
met Shannon Vales, her husband Randy and daughter Jordyn. Shannon and
her sister Stacey Hoskins became more like sisters to Angel, and Jordyn,
another daughter. She cherished her gal pal times attending concerts,
going on trips, or holding backyard bonfires and hanging out with
friends listening to music. She enjoyed pedicure dates and going to see
Tom Petty with Jennifer Elson. Her most recent concert was the New Kids
On the Block with Jennifer Lee, Stacy Hoskins and Cindy Garey. On her
weekends off, if she wasn’t home with her husband and girls, you were
likely to find her next door with her kindred spirit Melinda.
Her heart was so big that she never turned anyone away in need of
help, which resulted in opening their home to several friends, lending
vehicles or a bed to those in need. After a dear friend's passing, Angel
took her daughter Stephanie under her wing, and loved her like her own,
becoming her 3rd daughter. She even worked nearly every holiday so that
co-workers could be home with their families.
She was not afraid to be quirky, a bit strange, or that person who
runs to the store wearing her Eeyore pajamas. Always young at heart, she
was often the life of the party with her cheerful and contagious
spirit.
Over the years, Angel struggled past several medical setbacks with
the most recent one being thickened heart walls. This forced her to slow
down, not being able to do as much as she would normally. Regardless,
the interactions and care given to any of her patients and co-workers
were 2nd to none. She loved her job, she loved her family, and she loved
living. She cherished living her life to the fullest, but she had
always said that she would never grow old.
Angel was truly a blessing and an inspiration to anyone she came
into contact with. We could go on and on trying to convey how much
everyone meant to her, and how much SHE meant to others. She will be
missed dearly by all and she truly loved all of you.
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