Carla Ann Barten

September 2, 1969 - March 6, 2018

Carla Ann Barten, 48, peacefully died Tuesday, March 6, 2018, at the Israel Family Hospice House in Ames, Iowa. She was born September 2, 1969 to Jerald and Sarah (Meyer) Barten in Ames, Iowa. Carla grew up in Ankeny. She was confirmed at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church where her faith grew. Carla graduated from Ankeny High School in 1988. She earned her BA in Sociology from the University of Iowa and her Masters in Social Work from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. Carla enjoyed teaching sociology courses at Des Moines Area Community College empowering and inspiring her students. She joined the Des Moines and Ames Quaker Friends Meeting Houses. She enjoyed her meditation group, creating abstract art, playing scrabble with friends, having fun with her nieces and nephews, and camping with her family and also with her nieces at Threshold Learning Center. She loved spending time will all of her friends. During chemotherapy she joined the Bliss Cancer Center dragon boat practices at Ada Hayden Lake. Carla’s goal in life was to empower the people around her and provide caring support. She found the people in her life a blessing. Carla cultivated an attitude of “Let go, let God” and being grateful for all God has provided her on a daily basis. She found joy in every day and strived for peace and self-acceptance. Carla prays that her loved ones may also count their blessings and find joy in every day. Carla is survived by her father, Jerald Barten; her siblings, Jerry (Lori) Barten, Chris Barten, and JoAnn (Troy) Barten Bigelow; nieces and nephews, Joshua Barten, Dylan Smith, Molly and Maggie Barten, and Carl and Leah Bigelow. Carla has two great nieces: Athena and Abbigail Smith. Also surviving her are aunts Jeanette Pohlman and Jolene Meyer; first cousins, James (Faye) Meyer and family, Gloria Meyer and family, Suzanne (Mike) Bunting and family, Kayti Pohlman and family, Matthew (Dawn) Pohlman and family, Janiece (Mark) Lweis and family, Carleen Barten, Glen Barten and family. Carla was preceded in death by her mother, Sarah (Meyer) Barten in December 2015, her grandparents, Carl and Edna Meyer and Richard and Ida Barten, aunts and uncles: Donald and Amy Meyer, Marcus Meyer, Lloyd Barten, Bernice Barten, and Lois Barten; first cousins, Larry Meyer and Doug Barten, and nephew, Joshua Smith. Carla requests memorial contributions be made in her name to: Ames Friends Meeting House (Quaker), 121 S. Maple Ave., Ames, Iowa 50010 (meeting house fund) or Threshold Learning Center, 13143 710th Ave, Zearing, Iowa 50278 (Memorial Travel Fund – field trip assistance for children). A Celebration of Life Service will be held at 7 PM, Friday, March 9, 2018 the Des Moines Valley Friends Meeting Room, 4211 Grand Ave., Des Moines, Iowa, with family available to greet friends from 4pm until service time. Flower deliveries may be made to the Des Moines Valley Friends Meeting House on Friday, March 9, 2018.