Barbette Riemenschneider
Barbette Joyce (McNaughton) Riemenschneider, 74, of Lawton, passed away unexpectedly on Monday, October 31, 2016.
Services were held at 10 a.m. on Saturday, November 5 at Bethel Lutheran Church in Lawton, with the Rev. Bruce Jackson officiating. Burial was in Banner Township Cemetery in Lawton. Arrangements are with Christy-Smith Funeral Homes in Sioux City.
Barbette was born July 30, 1942 to Merrill Richard and Betty L. (Junck) McNaughton. She was raised on the family farm with her seven siblings: Merrill, Clifford, Craig, Willard “Brian”, Richard, Curt and Jeanine.
Barbette attended the Lawton Community Schools, graduating in 1960. Throughout high school, she participated in basketball and was active in 4-H.
After high school, she continued her education at Iowa State University, graduating with a degree in microbiology in 1964. Barbette earned a Master’s degree in business from the University of Iowa.
During her 40-year career as a microbiologist, she worked in Iowa City and Boston, Massachusetts; at Offutt Air Force Base at Bellevue, Nebraska; and in Omaha, Nebraska. After her career in microbiology, she returned to her hometown of Lawton and purchased her parents’ home, on the farm that had been her grandparents’ farm.
On June 28, 2009, Barbette married Dean Riemenschneider at Bethel Lutheran Church in Lawton. The couple first met 60 years earlier at a 4-H event.
The past few years, Barbette and Dean had wintered in Sun City West, Arizona. During that time, she became interested in Native American history, and she started collecting Native American arts and crafts.
Barbette was an active member of Bethel Lutheran Church. She played the church organ through high school. She was also an active member of her church in Sun City West. She was also a member of Lawton American Legion Auxiliary No. 718.
Throughout her life, she enjoyed traveling (especially to Europe), playing bridge, reading, walking, tennis, art fairs, flea markets, gardening and flowers, and shopping for clothes. Barbette enjoyed spending time with her family — especially her godchild, Morgan Chartier.
Survivors include her husband, Dean Riemenschneider; five brothers: Clifford (Nancy) McNaughton of Spirit Lake, Iowa, and Craig (Kristine) McNaughton, Willard Brian McNaughton, Richard K. (Deena) McNaughton and Curt (Kris) McNaughton, all of Lawton; a sister, Jeanine (Stan) Chartier of Lawton; a sister in-law, Shirley McNaughton of Le Mars, Iowa; three step-children, Lisa (Ken) Soule of Missouri, Scott (Jo) Riemenschneider of Kingsley, Iowa, and Dana (Tara) Riemen-scheider of Pierson, Iowa; and many nephews, nieces, great-nephews, great-nieces, step-grandchildren and step-great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her parents and a brother, Merrill.
