Josephine Barrows

Josephine I. Barrows
How do you put into words what someone like my mom meant to so many people?
Josephine I. Barrows was my mother, but simply calling her a mother doesn’t begin to describe who she was. She was a wife, a sister, a friend, and “Ma” to more people than I could probably ever count.
Our house was one of those houses where there always seemed to be someone around. Some were family by blood. Some were neighborhood kids who practically lived there. Some may have technically been called stepchildren, but anyone who truly knew our family knew better than that. There were no “step” kids in our family. Once you were one of hers, you were family.
She was loving and she was fair, but let me tell you—if you made her mad or, even worse, disrespected her, you knew it. She could become the judge, jury, and executioner before you even had time to figure out what you had done wrong. And somehow, even when we didn’t want to admit it, she usually had a point.
She taught us that manners mattered. Respect mattered. How you treated people mattered. But above everything else, she taught us that family was everything.
Underneath that toughness was a woman with an enormous heart.
So many people called her Ma who weren’t her children, and she welcomed it. Usually with open arms—and almost always with some witty comment that only she could get away with. She was loved by so many people. And yes, she was probably feared by a few of us too. If you knew Ma, you know exactly what I mean.
She also had another side that I hope none of us ever forget. Mom could be a troublemaker. She loved a good practical joke and had a sense of humor that could catch you completely off guard.
Just ask our sister Mona.
We won’t tell the whole story here. She knows.
For me, though, one of the greatest things Mom gave me was her belief in me.
No matter how big my dreams were, she supported me. Even when something probably sounded impossible, she never made me feel like I shouldn’t try. She gave me the strength to chase those dreams, and I will carry that with me for the rest of my life.
Mom and Dad taught us so much more than they probably ever realized. They taught us through words, but even more through the way they lived, loved, struggled, laughed, and held this family together.
Sadly, after a long life, Mom lost her battle with dementia on 09/17/2026.
Dementia may have changed things along the way, but it could never erase who she was or what she gave us. Nothing could take away the lessons she taught us, the laughter she gave us, the memories we made, or the love she put into this family.
And nothing will ever change the fact that she was our Ma.
Mom, I don’t know how we’re supposed to get used to a world where you’re not physically here. I know there will be days when something happens and my first thought will be that I want to tell you about it. There will be moments when one of us says something you used to say, does something exactly the way you would have done it, or starts telling one of those stories we’ve all heard a hundred times—and suddenly, you’ll be right there with us again.
That’s because you left pieces of yourself in all of us.
I also find a tremendous amount of peace knowing that you are with Dad again. After everything, the thought of the two of you together again brings me comfort that is hard to put into words.
Maybe he’s already heard one of your witty comments.
Maybe you’ve already started giving him orders again.
I’d like to think so.
Mom, we are going to miss you every single day for the rest of our lives. But I know you’re not completely gone. You’re in the lessons you taught us. You’re in our stories. You’re in our laughter. You’re in the way we take care of one another. You’re in this crazy family you helped create and hold together.
And I’m pretty sure that little troublemaking, practical-joking part of you will keep showing up in us too.
You spent your life being Ma to so many people. You loved us, protected us, corrected us when we needed it, supported us, laughed with us, and made sure we understood what family really meant.
Now it’s time for you to rest.
I hope you’ve found peace in this new beginning. And I hope you know just how many lives were better because you were part of them.
Until the day we’re all together again, we’ll carry you with us.
I love you, Mom.
I miss you already.

Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Behe Funeral Home Inc. There will be no services held at this time. Friends and family may share memories and condolences by visiting www.behefuneralhome.com.