Jill Barnes

Jill Barnes was born 26 December 1950 in Decatur Macon County Illinois, youngest of three Barnes sisters (Judy Barnes Farmer, Janice Barnes, Jill Barnes Bohn), daughters of Leland L. 'Bud' Barnes and Georgia Hope Blair (later Hope Deister after Hope's second marriage to Robert Deister). Jill was a 1968 graduate of MacArthur High School in Decatur and a 1972 graduate of Eastern Illinois University with a B.S. in Education. She taught in the Cerro Gordo school district 1973-1976. In 2000 she became certified in Fund Raising Management from Indiana University Center on Philanthropy. She worked at the Decatur Herald & Review, the Business Journal, Decatur Memorial Hospital, and the Decatur Memorial Hospital Foundation, where she was instrumental in the creation and completion of the DMH Family Lodge. She first married John Bohn and kept the Bohn surname into adulthood. She later married Bill Skatnikat (exact surname spelling pending — possible variants Skatnik/Skotnicki/Skotnik). Both marriages had ended by the time of her death. At the end of her life her partner and caregiver was Nancy Curtin, named as her 'best friend / soul mate / caregiver' in the funeral home obituary. Died 28 March 2011 at 2:05 PM at her home in Decatur after a brief illness, age 60. Visitation Friday April 1, funeral Saturday April 2 2011 at Glad Tidings Assembly of God Decatur. Buried Graceland Cemetery, Decatur. Survived by partner Nancy Curtin, best friend Sandy Cole, step-father Robert Deister, sisters Jan (Bill) Lorenz and Judy Farmer. Brant Hindman's maternal aunt.