The Barkus Family - 1940s:

Betty Lou attended Malvern schools through high school graduation. It was during those latter years that she began to be called B. Lou. She recalled that she would talk to a little girl on the way to school. The little girl could not say, "Betty Lou," but instead, called her "B. Lou." B. Lou then used that nickname for the rest of her life , and I will generally use it through the rest of this work.

B. Lou graduated from Malvern High School in 1941. She was the valedictorian of a class of between 30 and 34 students. Although B. Lou listed 34 as the number of graduating classmates in her book, there were only 30 shown in the class picture while 33 were listed in the Class of 1941 program. B. Lou graduated from Malvern having mastered the Normal Teaching Courses that were given to students who were preparing to become teachers. However, B. Lou never taught in a school because she was only 17 when she graduated from high school, and the requirement was that one had to be 18 to teach in country school. B. Lou would not become 18 until December 1941.

So in September of 1941, B. Lou enrolled in Chillicothe Business College where she was the recipient of an eighteen month scholarship. The college was located in Chillecothe, Livingston County, Missouri. She graduated from the program in December 1942 and, after a brief stay at home and against her mother Edith's strong desire, B. Lou left for Des Moines, Iowa, via Greyhound bus to pursue her "dreams of living in the big city."

Louis died on 8 February 1944 in Malvern, Iowa, at the age of 54, having been in ill health for a number of years. He had been a patient in various veterans' hospitals, both in Lincoln, Nebraska, and Des Moines, Iowa. It is not known if Louis was hospitalized for diagnostic or therapeutic services or for some other reason. Funeral services were held at the Mansfield Funeral Home in Malvern, and his funeral came with military honors. Tellingly, the sermon delivered by Rev. L. C. Hall was entitled, "Suffering." He was buried in the Malvern Cemetery.

His obituary noted the following:

One daughter, Betty Lou, came to bring happiness into their lives. The companionship that existed between Lou and Betty Lou was Beautiful.. He loved his little girl, and was proud of her teen age scholastic attainments and of her success as a young woman in the world of business. His devotion tofamily will be a happy memory long treasured by his wife and daughter ....

Things that stood out in the character of Lou Barkus were love · of family, loyalty to friends, a deep appreciation of kindnesses shown him, courage and patience in suffering that is seldom equaled. No day passed without his remarking some kindness shown him by some one of his many friends.

Louis' mother, Ella Rossetta Odous (or Otis), died on 10 April 1945 in Omaha, Douglas Co., Nebraska. Ella had lived with her daughter Faye N. Barkus Newquist in Malvern as listed in the US Federal census of 1930. Ella left Malvern in 1932 when the Newquist family moved to Omaha, Nebraska, where she resided until her death. In Omaha, she would also live with another daughter Bessie Jefferson and Bessie's family. It was while she was living with the Jefferson family that Ella passed away.

After the 1900 census, Ella was never listed as having an occupation, though she did take in laundry and sell pastries as noted previously.

B. Lou became engaged to a World War II veteran, Maynard L. Jones, in February 1946 after meeting him on a blind date.

After B. Lou and Maynard Jones became engaged, her grandmother Anzo Etta Bushnell informed the prospective groom that "we don't have very good luck with our men" by way of welcoming him into the family. She had experience the early deaths of her husband, grandson George, and sons-in law. Unfortunately, her words later seemed prophetic as Maynard died at age 57.

B. Lou Barkus married Maynard LeRoy Jones, son of Kenneth Clay and Zita Helen Shutts Jones, on 24 November 1946 at the First Methodist Church in Des Moines, Polk Co., Iowa. 8. Lou was "given away11 by her cousin Bob Barkus.

Edith's first grandchildren, Kendra Lou Jones, was born on September 15, 1948, in Des Moines, Iowa.

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