Barbara Louise Rempel Owens

Barbara Owens believed her strong hope of eternal life in Jesus Christ meant her spirit would never die. On December 31, 2013, as her family read her Scripture and sang hymns, she passed peacefully in Fresno, Calif. while anticipating the reality of meeting The Lord. She rejoiced in Him everyday and had no greater joy than to hear her children walked in truth. Barbara Louise Rempel was born in Akron, Ohio on May 29, 1930, but as an infant moved to Berryville, Ark. where her father was a dairy farmer. The eldest of two children, she graduated from Berryville High School in 1948 and spent one year at Southern Methodist University before transferring to Arkansas Tech University. There she wrote a column for the student paper - "Oceans of Notions from BLR" - and met Alton C. Owens. They married in 1950. Barbara and Alton moved to Little Rock where he started his business. She was happiest as a homemaker and raising her three daughters. She taught Girls' Auxiliary, Vacation Bible School and Sunday School at Markham Street Baptist Church and others. She mentored many teenage unwed mothers at the Florence Crittenton Home. Her greatest joy was studying the Bible and participating in women's prayer groups where she met many lifelong friends. She enjoyed traveling with her family across America and to Israel, Costa Rica, Spain, Morocco, Italy, Switzerland, France and Egypt. Health problems limited her in the last decade but she relished playing a large role in her grandchildren's lives and learning about their travels. Barbara moved to Clovis, Calif. in 2009 to be closer to her two youngest daughters and their families. She found comfort in her favorite verse, Philippians 1:21: "For me, to live is Christ and to die is gain." She lovingly listened to and prayed for others, always directing everyone to know Jesus Christ. Barbara is survived by husband, Alton C. Owens of Quitman, Ark., three daughters: Chrysanne (Ismet) Demirel of Little Rock; Terry (John) Graveley and Laura (Robert) Borec of Clovis; six grandchildren: Evin and Tanner Demirel, Leah and Joe Graveley, Carleigh and Brenner Borec, and great-granddaughter Eden Demirel. Barbara was preceded in death by parents Herman Ewert and Margery Martha (Myers) Rempel, and a brother, Donald Ewert Rempel. Friends are welcome to attend a celebration of her life at 1:30 p.m. on July 20 at North Little Rock's Lakewood Property Owners Association office. A private interment will be at the Blue Springs Cemetery in Newark, Ark