Barbara Ehnen

Barbara Ann (Norder Clasen) Ehnen, 84, of Cedar Rapids, passed away on Tuesday, January 18, 2022. Visitation will begin at 10 a.m. followed by a memorial service at 11 a.m. on Saturday, January 29, 2022, at St. Mark's Lutheran Church, 8300 C Avenue, Marion, Iowa. Barbara was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on February 27, 1937. At age five, she was adopted by Gerhard and Wilma Clasen and moved to their dairy farm near Grafton, Wisconsin. She attended elementary school in a one room schoolhouse, later attended school in Grafton, and graduated from Port Washington High School. In her youth, she was very involved in 4-H and was Ozaukee County Fair Queen. She was also Jr. Prom Queen at Grafton High School. After high school she attended and graduated from Wartburg College where she sang in Castle Singers and played saxophone in the college band. It was at Wartburg that she met Marvin Ehnen. They were married on July 24, 1960, at St John's Lutheran Church in Lakefield, Wisconsin, a church directly across the road from the Clasen farm. She and Marvin moved to Dubuque, Iowa, where he attended and graduated from Wartburg Theological Seminary. They then lived in Maskell, Nebraska, West Branch, Iowa, Cedar Rapids, Iowa and Davenport, Iowa, where Marvin served as pastor and chaplain. Barbara was employed as a receptionist at Rath Packing Company, a curator at Herbert Hoover Presidential Library, a claims specialist at Workforce of Iowa, and as a courtesy driver for Lujack Auto. Barbara enjoyed playing cards with friends and playing penny slots at Riverside casino. She excelled at planning interesting and fun family vacations, including trips to most of the U.S. states and to Canada. She especially loved spending time with her grandchildren. Barbara was a loving and supportive wife, an exceptional mother, a favorite Nana, and a loyal friend, in addition to being an interesting human being. She was preceded in death by her brother, Jerold Clasen, and her parents. Left to cherish her memory are her husband; sisters, Ginger Schneider and Debbie Arps of Florida; son, Mark and his wife, Denise Ehnen of Roseville, California; daughter, Cathy Ehnen of Cedar Rapids; grandchildren, Joe Warkel of Cedar Rapids, Scott Ehnen, Grace Ehnen and Sean Ehnen all of Roseville, California; and many friends and extended family. Memorials can be made to Camp Courageous of Iowa.