Marcella Barnes, 84, of Aberdeen, SD, passed away peacefully on Saturday, May 30, 2026, at Bethesda Home of Aberdeen.

A Catholic Memorial Service will be at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, June 6, 2026, at Schriver’s Memorial Chapel, with Dcn. Ed Mitzel officiating.

A time for fellowship and luncheon will follow the service at Schriver’s Memorial Fellowship Center.

Visitation will be from 5-7 p.m. on Friday, June 5, at Schriver’s Memorial Chapel, with a 7:00 p.m. wake service. Visitation continues one hour before the service.

In lieu of flowers, the family prefers donations be made in Marcella’s memory to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital at this link or the Shriner's Children's Transport at this link.

Schriver’s Memorial Mortuary and Crematory, 414 5th Avenue NW, Aberdeen, is honored to serve the Barnes family. Friends and family may sign the online guestbook at www.schriversmemorial.com. Services will be recorded and posted on Schriver’s Facebook following the service.

Marcella Engler was born on August 8, 1941, to Lester and Otilia (Lentz) Engler in Tracy, MN. She grew up on the farm with her brothers and sisters: Leslie, Marilen, Reginald, Jerome, Dale, Kenneth, Linda, Delores, and Dwight. She had one brother Dennis, who died at birth.

She graduated from Tracy High School and started working at the Campbell’s Soup Factory. She lived in Tracy, MN; Currie, MN; Slayton, MN; Worthington, MN; ST Paul, MN; Cherokee, IA; and finally, Aberdeen, SD.

Throughout her life, she held various jobs, such as waitressing and office work. She particularly enjoyed being a waitress because she liked engaging with customers and giving friendly service. She recalled many of the wonderful people she met and became friends with through her work, including both co-workers and customers.

She was introduced to Gary Barnes, whom she later married in April 1978. The couple raised a blended family, offering love and support to their children. Marcella's children included her son Todd, daughter Tina, and a stillborn daughter, Terina. Gary's children included sons Dennis and Andy. Together, Marcella and Gary also had a son named Wylie while living in Cherokee, IA.

Marcella and Gary bought a local newspaper, The Comet, in Aberdeen, SD, and moved to Aberdeen in 1986. Aberdeen remained Marcella’s home until her death.

Marcella had a special place in her heart for children and enjoyed her grandchildren to the fullest. She was known to play some soccer, jump rope, throw the ball around, and go on shopping trips with her grandchildren. She was extremely unselfish with her time and energy and loved to see her grandchildren’s happiness. One of her favorite things to do with her grandchildren was to play the marbles game Aggravation!

Marcella also tried to teach her grandchildren the importance of hard work and having a disciplined life. It was not uncommon for her to jump in and help with schoolwork and projects. She was often called “Grandma” not only by her biological grandchildren but also by many of the other people she brought into her life and treated like family. It was common for friends of family to simply refer to Marcella as Grandma, which she took pride in the honor of that title. She often said that being Grandma was one of the greatest privileges of her life.

Her grandchildren included: from Dennis: Chelsie and Alea; from Tina: TJ and Tiana; and from Wylie and Parmalie: Terrina, Izebella, Olivia, Destiny, Raelon, Kyson, Meleana, Connor and Taelor. She also had what she called adopted grandkids from her friend Jenny Breaw with Alisha, Alysyn, Bre’elle and Tori. She also had many great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren whom she loved dearly.

Marcella enjoyed many activities and hobbies, including bowling, golf, and fishing. She was an ultra-Vikings fan and was known for being very vocal in her support on game days, win or lose! She attended many of her grandkids’ sporting, dance, and school events and loved showing her support. In her downtime, she could be found watching her game show network or crime TV series.

Her favorite time of year was any holiday when family was gathered. She held a special place in her heart for Thanksgiving because she loved to cook for her family and friends. Everyone was welcome, and bringing as many people together to celebrate was such a reward and a fulfilling experience for her.

Marcella’s love and devotion for her family was evident in all that she did. She will be dearly missed by all. She is reunited in death with her husband, Gary; son, Todd; stillborn daughter, Terina; stillborn brother, Dennis; brothers, Leslie, Reginald, and Dwight; and sister, Marilen.