Leland W Barnes

Leland (Lee) W. Barnes, 77, of Buhl, passed away Sunday, Jan. 30, 2011, following a long and courageous battle with diabetes. Lee was born July 19, 1933, in Crossville, Tenn. He moved to Idaho with his family in 1946, living in the Garden City area for several years, later setting his roots in the Magic Valley. Lee was a man of many talents. He was a pioneer in the practice of denturitry (making dentures directly for the public) in Idaho. He owned and operated Barnes Dental Lab in Twin Falls for many years and later moved his practice to Buhl. He was president of the National Denturist Association, the Idaho Denturist Association and served on the State Board of Idaho Denturists for several years. As a young man, Lee was active in city and state politics. This passion remained with him his entire life. In 1988, he was elected as a state representative for District 23. He served in the Legislature for four years. He truly loved representing the citizens of Idaho and was proud to say, "I never lost a bill while serving in the legislature." Lee spent countless hours serving his community. He was active in the Buhl Chamber of Commerce, Rotary and many other service groups through the years. He enjoyed helping others and spent many evenings volunteering at the Buhl soup kitchen. Lee loved spending time with his family. He absolutely adored his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He will always be fondly remembered as "Grand-Dad." He never missed a birthday party or celebration of any kind. Lee is survived by his wife, Barbara of Buhl; son, Terry (Karla) Barnes of Burley; daughter, Bobbi King of Vancouver, Wash.; stepson, Kelly (Tammy) Hartwick of Buhl; one sister, Dorothy Moody of Kimberly; four grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. In honoring his wishes, Lee was cremated. A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb 5, at the Buhl First Christian Church. Arrangements are under the direction of Farmer Funeral Chapel in Buhl.