Maria Barron's Obituary
Maria Barron of Longview passed away peacefully in her sleep on January 14, 2018. She was 88 years old. She was born in Kaunas, Lithuania on August 30, 1929 to Roman and Nina IIjaseviciute. Maria graduated from high school in Munich, Germany. She came to the United States through Ellis Island on November 10, 1947. The United States Committee for the Care of European Children placed her in the warm and loving home of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Leers and their children, Marilyn and Craig of Teaneck, New Jersey. The Leers family taught Maria how to speak English by using a Russian-English Dictionary and Maria was fluent in German, Russian and Lithuanian as well. She lived with the Leers family until her marriage to Jim Reynolds in 1952. Jim and Maria met while taking dance lessons at the Arthur Murray Studio in New York City. Together they became instructors and taught in many places including Venezuela before settling in Longview in 1963 where they continued to work for Arthur Murray Studios.
Later Maria became a sales person at Galosy’s and Mary V’s and developed a large and devoted clientele through 22 years. She was an extremely hard worker and raised two children, Linda and Steve Reynolds. She married a wonderful Christian man, Jack Barron in 1980. Maria was especially proud of becoming a United States Citizen in 1965 and being awarded the outstanding Naturalized Citizens Award in 1972 by the Daughters of the American Revolution.
Maria was a member of the First Lutheran Church of Longview and spent her retirement years being the proud grandmother to Erik and Scott.
Maria is survived by her daughter, Linda Walters and husband Chris, and son Steve Reynolds and friend Julie Burnett, as well as grandchildren, Erik Powell and wife, Natalie, and Scott Powell.
The family would like to thank all the caregivers and staff at Buckner Memory Care for their loving care. In lieu of flowers the family respectfully requests any donations be made to the Wounded Warriors or the SPCA of East Texas, which were the groups Maria supported.
A family memorial service will take place on Saturday, January 27, 2018 at Rosewood Park under the direction of Rick Webb.
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