Doris C. Haffen Barnes' Obituary
Doris C. Haffen Barnes, 97, of Dallas, Texas passed away July 26, 2020 in Dallas, Texas. She was born June 14, 1923 to John W. Haffen and Ann Haffen in Moline, Illinois. She married Robert V. Barnes on June 4, 1944 in Rockwall, Texas. She was a Mother/Housewife.
On June 14, 1923, Major John William Haffen and Anna Wilhelmina Johnson Haffen announced the birth of their daughter Doris Corinne Haffen in Moline, Illinois where Major Haffen was stationed at the time. She spent her early years in Rock Island, Illinois and when her father was transferred to Fort Riley, Kansas as the Provost Marshal they moved there and lived on the Military Base. Mom attended Junction City High School where she was active as a Majorette. Upon graduation from Junction City High School she began working at the Ft. Riley Military Base PX as a cashier. During 1943 or early 1944 she met a young 2nd Lieutenant named Robert V Barnes who had just finished Officer Candidate School and was now going through Armored Cavalry School prior to being shipped out to England. As I understood one of their first encounters was when Robert was trying to buy a carton of cigarettes and he received a lecture from Doris about how bad it was for your health and that he was too young to smoke. After a while Robert asked if he could walk Doris home after work and she said it would be ok. On the way home each night Doris would act like she was home and tell Robert good night, but it was her friend’s house. Doris did not want Robert to know where she lived because there was a sign in the front yard that stated that home belonged to the Base Provost Marshal. During several nights walking Doris home, Robert had noticed that they were being followed at a distance. After a while Robert asked Doris if she had noticed that the soldier following them at a distance was an MP. At the point Doris confessed that her Dad was the Provost Marshal and he wanted to be sure she got home safely. Normally once the guys found out who her Dad was, that generally ended her relationships. Well Robert was persistent and he and Major Haffen became friends and Doris and Robert’s relationship continued. When Robert finished his training, he was then transferred to Camp Maxie not too far from Paris, Texas for additional training. Now being close to home he asked Doris to come to Texas and visit his family which she did.
During her visit Mother Barnes fixed this big Dinner to show off the family. That meal almost ended their relationship because Mother Barnes had cooked Black Eyed Peas and Doris refused to eat them. Doris told Mother Barnes that she was not going to eat anything that they fed to the hogs on the base. That embarrassed Robert at the time. He did get over that experience and when Robert found out that he was being shipped to England he asked Doris to marry him. They were married in Rockwall, Texas on June 4,1944 just before Robert was shipped out.
During the Battle of the Bulge Dad’s Armored Car platoon was captured. Robert was listed as MIA for several months. His middle name being French, he decided he would be safer using the last name of “Von Barnes” since there was a German Field Marshal named Von Barnes in the region. Robert finally was able to escape the POW Camp and returned home in late 1945.
After Robert completed his military service, Doris and Robert settled in Dallas. Shortly after that Robert V “Buddie” Barnes Jr is born in October 1946, Marsha Carol Barnes followed in August 1947. Doris became a fulltime mother, diaper changer and chief disciplinarian with the two of us. Doris kept up the home front caring for Marsha and I while Robert built his reputation in the Construction Industry.
Doris served as PTA President while Buddie and Marsha were at Alex Sanger Elementary School, and also was a Girl Scout Leader during that period. Then John Decker Barnes came along in August 1953. As the family increased in numbers, we moved from Forest Hills to the home that Mom lived in until her passing. The Day after Buddie graduated from High school, Marla Cheryl Barnes was born in August 1964. Robert always told people he wanted to raise his own Grand Children; but I don’t think Doris thought that was that funny.
As the kids have grown up and started their own families Doris and Robert decided they wanted to take cruises. They traveled all over the world with the Princess Cruise lines. Doris always liked to tell people that they traveled on the 1st Royal Princess which was christened by Queen Elizabeth. That ship was renamed the Pacific Princess and used in the Love Boat TV series. I think Doris has every episode that was ever filmed. Then Doris and Robert were on the maiden voyage of the 2nd Royal Princess that was christened by Princess Diana. Doris, Buddie and his wife Debby made the Maiden Voyage of the 3rd Royal Princess that The Duches of Cambridge Christened. She loved Cruising and it really did not make much difference where she would go she just loved to travel on the Sea. Doris and Robert made 21 Cruises together, and Doris traveled another 14 cruises with various members of the family. Doris’s love for the sea and cruising allowed her to spend 366 days at sea, and she has passed that spirit of travel to all of us.
Doris also loved to have a monthly birthday party where we would celebrate the birthdays for that month. If it was your month, you got the chance to name the type of homemade ice cream and the type of cake and icing we would have that month. This held true for all months but August, there were so many Birthdays in August we had to do two parties. Doris also told all of us that there could be no more birthdays in August! Doris also loved to get the family together for the neighbor hood 4th of July parade and picnic every year. She also served on the Board of the St. Andrews Study Club for many years and enjoyed her membership in the Dallas County Pioneer Association.
Doris loved having the Family come to the house and it was always a big deal. Oh, and football season was a big deal, the DAC would provide a bus for the SMU and Cowboys games with a bar and Bartender. Everyone enjoyed the ride to and from the games and most of the time the trip home was really a lot of fun and not many cared who had won.
Doris had 4 Children, 10 Grand Children, 19 Great- Grand Children and 6 Great- Great Grand Children.
Doris was preceded in death by her Mother and Father, her husband Robert V Barnes in 1993, Great-Great Granddaughter Claire Hadala in 2012, and Great- Great Granddaughter Francis Hadala in 2013.
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