Paul Barrette

Paul Barrette, 89, of Savanna, Illinois, passed away on Wednesday, August 3, 2016 at Mercy Living Center, Clinton, Iowa. Cremation Rites have been accorded. A memorial service will be held 1:00 pm, Saturday, August 13, 2016 at Law-Jones Funeral Home, Savanna. A memorial gathering will be held from 11:00-1:00 p.m., prior to the memorial service at the funeral home. Burial will take place at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given to Paralyzed Veterans of America, Smile Train, or the Savanna Food Pantry in Paul’s memory.
Paul was born on October 21, 1926, in Janesville, Wisconsin, the son of Fred and Mildred Barrette. He graduated from Patch Grove High School, Wisconsin in 1943. He joined the U.S. Army in October, 1945 and was a High-speed Intercept Operator in the National Security Agency. He was honorably discharged in March of 1947. He married Mona Dietrich on August 13, 1947, in Cassville, Wisconsin. After living in Rockford, Illinois, for a short time, they returned to Cassville, Wisconsin, where they farmed. Paul then attended Platteville State Teachers College and later the University of Oklahoma at Norman.
In June of 1950, he went to the Savanna Army Depot where he attended school to become an ammunition inspector in the QASAS (Quality Assurance Specialist Ammunition Surveillance) Program. His job took him to several Army Depots and communities around the world including: Hermiston, Oregon; Madison, Indiana; Kaiserslautern, Germany; Korea; Savanna; Washington, D.C.; and finally retiring from the Rock Island Army Material Command in 1982. He and Mona retired in Savanna and enjoyed traveling south in the winters to their condo in San Antonio, Texas.
Paul was a member of the VFW, Moose, Elks, and American Legion. Paul loved bowling, golfing, attending auctions, hunting, fishing, playing cards, gardening and tending to their orchard. Paul was also an avid Green Bay Packers and San Antonio Spurs fan. Paul and Mona especially enjoyed spending time with their children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and friends. After 65 years of marriage, Mona passed away on October 13, 2012.
Paul will be dearly missed by his six children, Dennis (Helen) Barrette of Arizona City, AZ; Thomas (Janice) Barrette, Barbara (Fred) High and Debra K. Johnson of Savanna; Ronald (Teresa) Barrette of Benedict, ND; and Cynthia (Steve) Jones of Franklin, VA; 16 grandchildren, James (Christine) Barrette and Eugene Barrette of Tucson, AZ; Jeffrey Barrette of ND; Brent Barrette and Heath (Jennifer) Barrette of Woodstock, IL, Jennifer (Greg) Peters of Smithville, MO; Ryan (Amy) High of Mt. Horeb, WI, Alisa (Christopher) Jacobs of Wichita, KS; Jeremiah (Pam) Johnson, of Prophetstown, IL;, Nicole (Nick) VanPelt and Christina (Chase) Latendresse of Minot, ND; Jessica (Mathew Klug) Haas of Mitchel, SD, Paul (AshLynn) Barrette of Max, ND, Derrick Jones and Brandon Jones of Franklin, VA, and Christine Doggett of Ridgway, IL and 26 great-grandchildren, and his sister Suzanne Kress of Potosi, WI.
Paul was preceded in death by his wife Mona, his parents, brothers Frederick and Francis, and one great-granddaughter Emma.