BARBARA ANN CRITES

Services: 2 p.m. Friday, Aug. 28, Cantlon Otterness Funeral Home of Buffalo. Burial in Union Grove Cemetery. Visitation: 6 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home.

Michael McClurg will officiate. Music will be provided by Andrew McKnight, pianist. Memorials may be made to the Boy’s Ranch and left at the funeral home. Online condolences can be made at www.cantlonotterness. com.

Escorts are Jeff Christian, Charles Rose, Tad Pinegar, Charles Buckner and Christopher Neal.

Barbara Ann Crites, 56, was born Nov. 30, 1958, in Galesburg, Ill., the daughter of Irland and Charlene Crites. She died Aug. 22, 2015, at her home in Buffalo, after a brave and courageous fight with cancer.

She graduated from Bolivar High School. After working for several years, she followed her heart and returned to school, earning her bachelor’s degree from Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar. She began her teaching career at Buffalo Prairie Middle School. While she taught, she continued her own education and earned her master’s degree.

She loved teaching and challenged her students to learn and do their best to live up to their potential. She worked to instill in them an excited interest in reading. She continued teaching for 21 years at Buffalo Prairie Middle School, even while receiving cancer treatments.

She loved her quarter horses. She rode in competitions, winning trophies and blue ribbons. She encouraged the young 4-H kids with their horses.

Barbara was preceded in death by her grandparents: Matt and Willie Crites and Tom and Madge Pinegar; two uncles: Burl and Garland Crites; four aunts: Eathel Parrott, Sadie Cisco, Dorothy Presley and Opal Martin; and two cousins: Don Presley and Linda Wisdom.

Survivors include her parents; her sister, Becky Neal, Bolivar; her nephew, Chris and wife, Olivia Neal and son Nolan, Lone Jack; her niece, Courtney Neal and Daniel Mills and son Maddox, Bolivar; aunts, uncles, and cousins: Darlene and Jim Minchs, Ed and Carol Pinegar, Angie Pinegar, Jeff and Kelly Christian, Parker Mathern, Sean Kendrick, Tad and Amy Pinegar, Ashlie and Josh Lordemann, Abbie and Charles Rose, Mason Priest, Crystal Mincks, Kristina and Payton, Nellie and Maclin Spence, Alexis, Tommy, Linkin, and Mila Pinegar, Chaz and Chance Rose, Rachael and Kristen Lordemann, and Jackie Spurlock, Rick, Danny and Sandie, Kenneth, Leroy, Ruth Ann, Ruby and Evelyn, Richard, Lucille, Phillip, Donna, June and Janice, Reva and Mike, and Wayne and Freda.