Eunice Rosella Barnard

Eunice was born and grew up in Woodville, a small community west of Shelley Idaho. When she was about 2 years old, she had some kidney problems. It was during the depression, so she had to go live at the doctor’s house. They put hot water bottles on her sides and under her arms. They didn't watch her close enough so she got both her elbows scalded with hot water, which scarred her elbows for life.

She helped her dad on the farm, she was his "right hand man". She helped her mother with her siblings. She had an older brother and four little sisters, 2 of which were twins.

She went through grade school, and was named Valedictorian of her 8th grade class. She started High School in Shelley. Her parents then moved to Blackfoot and she attended Blackfoot High School for a couple of years. The family moved again to Clark, west of Rigby. She graduated from Rigby High School.

She and some of her high school friends rented an apartment in Idaho Falls. She wore out a pair of shoes trying to find a job. Everybody wanted someone with experience. She finally got hired by 1st Security Bank. They were amazed at her accuracy with figures.

While in Blackfoot she met Hebe Barnard, they went to school and rode the same school bus. She and Heber had some great times together going to picture shows in a horse drawn buggy. They are called movies now.

Heber went to the Navy and Eunice continued working for 1st Security Bank. When Heber got back from Boot Camp, he looked her up and after a short courtship they got married by Bishop Judy in Ammon Idaho on November 12, 1949.

Heber and Eunice spent their honeymoon in an old cabin up in the hills along the Blackfoot River enjoying their time together taking care of cattle, breaking colts, and hunting deer. Once, Heber shot a deer only wounding it, so with a hunting knife he cut its throat. Eunice thought she had married a monster.

They spent their first winter in a sheep camp, way short of what's desired, almost freezing to death. The next winter they spent in a tarpaper shack. After awhile they graduated to better living conditions.

"We have been each other's right arm ever since, we had unconditional love for each other". To this union four great kids were born. We went through the ups and downs of farm and ranch life and holding down full-time jobs all while holding each other's hands.

Eunice had a great sense of humor. She also knew everything about a cow including how to put back a "prolapse", and birthing their babies. She could ride a horse with the best of them and shoot a gun better than most of them. She was a top-notch book keeper, champion cook, she crocheted many things, and she was a great seamstress. She loved poetry and wrote many of her own poems, some of which were published. She also loved to sing. She was one of two individuals selected from the Blackfoot area to participate in a Idaho/Utah regional choir that performed in a General Conference session in Salt Lake City. She was always serving people, loved God and her family with every ounce of her being .

Eunice is survived by her husband of 71 years, Heber Lamont Barnard; her children, Nichols (Alayne), of Blackfoot Idaho; Terrie (Jerry) of Cedron Idaho; Cydney Ringel of Firth, Idaho; Shayne (Wendy) of Plain City Utah; Siblings, Lenis Kirkbride of Idaho Falls; Billie Jo (Lynn) Clapp of Shelley; 18 grandchildren and 45 great grandchildren.

She was proceeded in death by her parents, William Edwin and Violet Elvira Speas; siblings, George Wiley Speas, Lena Flora Clark, Gene William Speas, Thora Elvira Norman, 1 grandchild and 2 great grandchildren.

A funeral service will be held at 11:00 am Saturday, March 27, 2021 at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Wapello Ward building at 337 North 200 East Blackfoot. The funeral service will be broadcast live through Zoom at the following link https://us02web.zoom.us/j/4252867726?pwd=cGt6ZGJjV0FtWmhsSm9GMnkrcGpYUT09

Meeting ID: 425 286 7726
Passcode: 374778


Family will meet with friends from 6:00 - 7:30 pm, Friday, March 26, at the Nalder Funeral Home, 110 West Oak, Shelley Idaho and for one hour prior to the service at the church. Burial will be in the Grove City Cemetery.











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