Memorial

Penny Jo (Terwilliger) Barnts, 70, of Marion, Iowa, passed away on September 14, 2026 following a sudden decline in health. She was the youngest daughter of Dean and Edie.

Penny graduated from Prairie High School in 1974. She went on to attend the University of Northern Iowa, where she made lifelong friends and met her first husband, with whom she had a daughter, Melanie.

Penny raised Melanie with a fierce commitment to independence, confidence, and competence. She modeled the belief that there was very little a woman couldn't learn to do herself, buying a pink tool set so mother and daughter could tackle jobs around the house. She let young Melanie roam the neighborhood on her bike and, later, was brave enough to send her off on airplanes and overnight trains as a teenager.

Penny married John Barnts in 1993 and embraced her role as "bonus mom" to Kate, Anna, and Mattie. The couple enjoyed slow, quiet evenings in the pool on their farm, often with a glass of Black Velvet and Diet Coke in hand. They spent countless hours listening to music, cooking, and quizzing each other about actors' names and roles. The love they shared was true and deep and lasted more than three decades.

Penny gave each of her children room to figure things out on their own while making sure they knew she always had their backs. She taught her daughters the practical skills of an independent life: how to use an ATM, drive confidently in all kinds of road and weather conditions, navigate an airport, and manage their time and task lists. In a deliberate departure from aspects of her own upbringing, Penny made a point of saying yes to her daughters as often as possible. That meant letting them paint their bedrooms bold colors, hosting a foreign exchange student, inviting a revolving door of boyfriends to dinner, and welcoming her adult children back home when they needed a place to land. She showed up with, "What do you need from me?" but never pushed or made her children's lives about herself.

In her role as Oma, Penny let her grandchildren pester and tease her without complaint, rarely showing irritation and always making sure they knew they were loved. Even when mobility became difficult, she remained determined to stay active in their lives. She remembered the details of their activities, followed up on things they had told her, and attended their events as she was able.

Penny built a successful career in advertising and communications. She thrived during her time at local advertising firm CMF&Z, managing accounts ranging from Pioneer to Ericsson and earning the title of vice president. Her client-facing work took her throughout the United States and internationally, giving her plenty of opportunities to explore new places. After CMF&Z closed, she moved into the communications sector, eventually retiring from Windstream in 2019. In retirement, she volunteered at Waypoint and an elementary school.

Penny had a remarkable ability to make people feel both loved and capable. She leaves behind a family who will carry forward the independence, kindness, curiosity, and practical wisdom she taught by example.

She is survived by daughters, Melanie (Yochai Harel) Rainbow-Harel of Iowa City, IA; Kate (Warren) Lyon of Hiawatha, IA; Anna (Nick Lehrter) Barnts of Cedar Rapids, IA; Mattie (Nathan Flathers) Barnts of Denver, CO; grandchildren, Emilia and Teodor Harel and Emmett and Maggie Lyon; brothers Steve (Verlee) Terwilliger and Joe (Christy) Barger; sister Barb Smith; and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Dean Terwilliger and Edie Barger; stepfather Jim Barger; uncle and aunt Phil and Minn Hunt; brother Mark Terwilliger; brothers-in-law, Dean Christian and Dan Smith; sister-in-law, Kay Christian; niece Merrick Ham; and granddaughter, Cecilia McKinley.