Cheers for volunteers

Joanna Barnes was born and raised in Whitefish. Daughter of longtime railroader Otto Howke and Vonda, she solidified her ties to Whitefish by marrying into the extensive Barnes family.

She and her late husband Ray have four daughters, 13 grandchildren and nine great grandchildren. Joanna leads a busy life. Aside from family, which is her No. 1 priority, she maintains a large yard with many flowers and has a shop where she makes her own lawn ornaments.

She particularly enjoys her membership in a Line Dance group which regularly entertains at nursing homes and similar places in Kalispell, Columbia Falls and Whitefish. She is a longtime member of the popular Penguins of Winter Carnival fame, and gives generously of her time to the Moose Club to perform waitress duties or anything else that needs to be done.

Central to her volunteerism is the Dirty Hands Garden Club, of which she is president. The members are perhaps best known for the beautiful flowers they plant and maintain at the Whitefish Depot and at North Valley Hospital.

In 1993, in order to raise money to buy and maintain the flowers, Joanna organized and began managing the Thursday Farmers Market at the Pin and Cue parking lot.

Joanna volunteers because she likes to be out and among people. She likes to feel that she is helping and gets personal satisfaction from being able to "put something back into the community by making things nice for others."

Co-workers are enthusiastic in their praise, saying that if something is needed, she "jumps in and gets it done," and that "'she never gives up, she just keeps trying to make things the best they can be."

Joanna, not only by your flowers but by your many other acts of kindness, you have succeeded in your goal of making our community a nicer place, and we thank you.

— Jake Heckathorn

This column is dedicated to those who give freely of their time and energy to worthwhile community projects, but whose efforts often go unnoticed. If you know such a person, please e-mail jheckathorn@centurytel.net.