Barbara Lea Kirby Freitag Schoenrock, 84 passed away February 8th, 2025, at Whispering Winds in Beatrice. Barb was born January 18th,1941 in Fairbury Nebraska to Guy Max and Iva Leona (Nance) Kirby. She had one brother, Marvin Lee Kirby.
Barb attended Fairbury Public Schools where she graduated from Fairbury High in 1959. She married Dwaine Edwin Freitag on November 13th, 1960, in the First Baptist Church of Fairbury then moved to the Freitag farm southwest of Diller, to start their life of farming. Barb and Dwaine had three boys, Russ Dwaine, Randy Lee, and Eric David. Barb and Dwaine farmed until 1974 when Barb went to work at Swingsters in Fairbury. Barb worked at Swingsters until 1986 when she went to work in the bakery at Schroeders’ Jack and Jill in downtown Fairbury. She managed the bakery until it closed in 2013.
After the passing of Dwaine in 1984, Barb married Verl Schoenrock June 6, 1986, and moved to the farm west of Fairbury.
One of Barb’s favorite hobbies was genealogy. She started this long before the internet and websites like Ancestry.com ever existed. Barb was tenacious when it came to finding information via birth, marriage, or death certificates. She spent countless hours in courthouse basements digging through records and visiting gravesites looking for artifacts to fill in missing pieces to the family tree.
Barb also enjoyed working in her garden of Hostas and loved tending to her knock out scrub rose beds.
Barb was active in her church, in bible studies, volunteered at election polling locations, and loved spending time with her kids and grandkids.
Barb was preceded in death by her father, Guy and mother Iva, brother, Marvin, husband, Dwaine Freitag, and best friend Phyllis Wasserman. She is survived by her husband Verl Schoenrock, Fairbury NE, (Sons) Russ (Omaha NE), Randy and wife Esther (Diller NE), Eric and wife Jessica (Windsor CO), step-son Matt and wife Elaine Schoenrock (Cortland NE). (Grandchildren) Amber and Jesus Gaytan, Forest and Linsey Freitag, Paige Freitag, Brett Freitag, Amanda and Travis Trofholz, Rachael and Nathan Johnson, Haylee and Ryan Linton, Ty Schoenrock.
(Great-Grandchildren) Benjamin and Gabriella Gaytan, Blakely and Baylin Freitag, Jason, Eliza, and Warren Trofholz, Preston and Parker Johnson.
There will be no viewing as cremation has taken place. Family Visitation will be Thursday February 13th at Gerdes-Meyer Funeral Home from 6 – 8 PM.
Funeral Services will be Friday February 14th 10:30 AM at the Zion Countryside Church east of Gladstone NE. Inurnment will take place at the Zion Cemetery following the service.
The family would like to thank Whispering Winds in Beatrice, and Cottonwood Hospice for their quality care and respect they showed Barb and family.
Isaiah 58:11 I will always show you where to go. I’ll give you a full life in emptiest of places - firm muscles, strong bones. You’ll be like a well-watered garden, a gurgling spring that never runs dry.
