Barbara Ellen Sweeny

We remain committed and prepared to safely care for the families we serve during the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and want to stay within the government’s guidelines. Whenever possible, Redpath-Fruth Funeral Home will continue to enable families to participate in the rituals that are most important to them and allow them to be able to say their final good-bye to their loved one.  Should you feel the need to stay home, please do so....families will understand.  Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.

Barbara Ellen Sweeny of Warsaw, Indiana went home to be with her Lord and Savior at 3:30 a.m. on Sunday, June 7, 2020 at her residence at the age of 89.

She was born on March 26, 1931 in Jay County, Indiana to Letha (Dulinski) Binegar Davis and James W. Binegar.  On September 2, 1956 she was married to Paul E. Sweeny.  They shared 39 years of marriage together before he passed away on July 6, 1996.

Barbara was a 1949 graduate of Pennville High School in Pennville, Indiana and attended three years at Vennard College in University Park, Iowa.  She moved to Kosciusko County, Indiana in 1965 where she worked at World Missionary Press.  Barbara was a member of Warsaw New Harvest Church of the Nazarene.  She was a familiar smiling face for over 28 years serving thousands of children their lunches for Warsaw Schools.  Barbara retired in 1996 but never did really stop serving food for her family.  She will be remembered as a wonderful mother, grandmother, aunt and sister and will be dearly missed by every single one of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. 

She will be lovingly remembered by her daughter:  Nancy (Keith) Cole (Chandler, Oklahoma); four sons:  Dan (Cristie) Sweeny (Silver Lake, Indiana); David (Renee) Sweeny (Warsaw, Indiana); Tim (Robin) Sweeny (Warsaw, Indiana); Tom (Marci) Sweeny (Warsaw, Indiana); eleven grandchildren and nineteen great-grandchildren.  She also leaves behind her brother:  Gerald Binegar (Bluffton, Indiana); and sister-in-law:  Evelyn (Gene) Pope (Bluffton, Indiana).  She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, two brothers Charles and Kenneth, and five sisters, Mary, Dorotha, Hazel, Thelma, and Nellie.

Visitation will take place from 4:00 – 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, June 10, 2020 at Redpath-Fruth Funeral Home, 225 Argonne Road, Warsaw, Indiana.  Due to the current, unprecedented guidelines limiting public gatherings due to the COVID-19 virus and safety concerns, please use good judgment in determining the length of your visit or if you should attend. There will be no congregating in the parking lot and physical distancing of six feet is mandatory.

Barbara’s life will be celebrated with a service at 1:00 p.m. on Thursday, June 11, 2020 at Warsaw New Harvest Church of the Nazarene, 1654 Fisher Avenue, Warsaw, Indiana and officiated by Pastors Andrew and Brianna Hickman, and Mike Curtis.  There will be an hour of calling prior to the service.  Burial will follow with a graveside service at Oakwood Cemetery of Warsaw; please follow social distancing guidelines at the cemetery as well. Arrangements were entrusted to Redpath-Fruth Funeral Home, 225 Argonne Road, Warsaw, Indiana. 

Memorial donations may be directed to World Missionary Press, P.O. Box 120, New Paris, Indiana  46553-0120 and would be appreciated by the family. 

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Barbara Ellen Sweeny, please visit our floral store.