Skandia––Orville D. Barnett, 61, of 137 Ingalls Road, Skandia, entered eternal life Sunday evening, January 28, 2007, at his home, in the comforting and loving care of his family and dear friends, Shirley Barnett and Dave Navarre.
Born August 20, 1945 in Dukes, a son of Harold and Frances (Eitenier) Barnett, Orville was raised in the Dukes-Skandia area, and remained a lifelong resident. On January 14, 1967 he married the former Janet L. Johnson, and together the couple established their home and raised their family in Skandia. Throughout the years, Orville and Janet also opened their home to several foster children through the Family Independence Agency. Orville was a self-employed woods worker-logger and worked for various logging contractors over the years. For a time, he worked for Frei’s Sawmill and also owned and operated Barnett Logging for about eight years. Orville was well respected as a logger, known for being a hard worker, honest, and fair in his dealings with others. He loved the outdoors and all that nature had to offer. An avid hunter, he also enjoyed fishing, trapping, playing cribbage, teasing his grandkids, and having a good cup of coffee while bs’ing with friends. Orville also tried his hand at farming for a while, raising his own cattle, and spending quality time helping out at the Webber farm in Trenary. One of Orville’s greatest pleasures was sharing his knowledge and love of nature with his grandchildren. From the time they were babies, he took them into the woods, teaching them to hunt, fish, and have a respect for all nature had to offer.
Orville is survived by his wife of 40 years, Janet; a daughter, Karla (Sam) Weeks; a son, Ken (Janice) Barnett; and grandchildren, Nicole Cheney and Kyle Weeks, Dustin, Devin, and Emily Barnett all of Skandia; his sister-in-law and dear friend, Shirley Barnett of Skandia; three brothers, Dale (Sandy) Barnett and Chester Barnett both of Dukes, and Claude Barnett of Marquette; and several nieces and nephews. In addition to his parents, Orville was preceded in death by a sister, Esther McMaster; and a brother, Ernest Barnett.
Friends may call at the Fassbender Funeral Home on Thursday, February 1, beginning at 11:00 am. Funeral services will follow at 1:00 pm Thursday afternoon, in the funeral home, with Pastor Lon Russell of the Heritage Baptist Church, officiating. Burial will be made in the Emanuel Lutheran Church Cemetery in the spring. A reception for family and friends will follow services at the West Branch Township Hall.
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