Barbara J. May

Click here to view the memorial video.   Barbara Jean Stoehr May, age 68, of Winnebago, Nebraska, passed away on Wednesday, December 5, 2007 at Mercy Medical Center in Sioux City, Iowa. Funeral Services will be held at 12:00 p.m., Saturday, December 8, at the Omaha Nation High School in Macy, Nebraska. Pastor Ron Goombi officiating. Lunch will be served. Visitation will be held Friday, December 7, 12:00 noon to midnight, at the First Reformed Church in Macy, Nebraska. Barbara Jean Stoehr May was born on November 19, 1939 in Lincoln, Nebraska to Paul F. and Marie E. (Davis) Stoehr. She attended Park Elementary School, Everett Jr. High School and graduated from Lincoln High School in 1957. She married her husband, Arthur May, on June 9, 1957. Barbara earned an Associates of Arts degree from Nebraska Indian Community College in Macy, Nebraska and then a Bachelor of Arts in Education from Wayne State College in Wayne, Nebraska. Barbara spent her life as a wife, mother, grandmother, Sunday School teacher, High School teacher, College Teacher and Pianist. She loved the Lord and served Him with all her heart. Growing up Barbara sang in the Back to the Bible youth choir, beginning at age 10 until she was 17. She always wanted to be a missionary. In High School Barbara met many Native Americans who became lifelong friends. Barbara and her husband Art have lived among and loved the Omaha, Winnebago and Santee Sioux people since 1970. Places Barbara taught include Macy Head Start, Macy and Walthill Public High Schools, Nebraska Indian Community College, Little Priest Tribal College, ESU#1 at Winnebago Public Schools and St. Augustine Elementary school. She was the pianist at the First Reformed Church in Macy, Nebraska since 1970. Barbara leaves family and many friends to cherish precious memories including her husband of 50 years, Arthur May, daughter Miriam May Martin and husband Ken, daughter Martha May Valverde and husband Victor, daughter Mary May Lilley and husband Mark, daughter Melody May Wohlgemuth and husband Robert , son Matthew May and brother Ronald Stoehr. Her 14 grandchildren, Benjamin and wife Lauren, Aaron, Rachel, Joshua, Rebecca, Samuel, Jesse, Danielle, Mark Jeffery, Jonathan, Luke, Lindsey, Cole and Chelsea will miss her. She is preceded in death by her parents Paul and Marie Stoehr and son Mark Thomas May.