Adele Marie Barrett (nee Reinke)

January 1952 ~ December 2016

Born on January 7, 1952 to Ervin and Marion Reinke. She was baptized in New Salem, ND, confirmed, and married at St. Peter Lutheran Church, in Hannover, ND on August 9, 1975.

Adele attended Center High School and graduated in 1970. She went onto Bismarck Hospital School of Nursing and graduated in 1973. She then began her nursing career in Ashley ND, where she met the love of her life, Jim.

She married James (Jim) on August 9, 1975 in Hannover, ND. They lived in Napoleon and Bismarck, ND before moving to Watford City, ND in 1979. They owned Barrett Pharmacy there for 10 years.

In 1989 they moved to Reno, NV, where Jim worked as a pharmacist. Adele was able to continue her nursing career in her favorite area of nursing – clinical coordinator and the Northern Nevada Correctional Center as a charge nurse at the Stepdown Mental Health Unit. She was one of the first recipients of the Circle of Excellence award at the Carson Tahoe Hospital, was nominated and awarded Nevada Nurse of the Year, and received the Employee of the Year award for the Mental Health Department of the Northern Nevada Prison System. Adele enjoyed the challenges and rewards of working with the mentally ill until 2012, when she had to retire due to cancer.

She loved to travel and was able to enjoy many trips in and out of the United States during her lifetime. She was an avid reader and crossword puzzle enthusiast. She also loved music. She was the accompanist for the Bethlehem Lutheran Church chorus and member of the hand bell choir there and substitute organist. She was also a member of LWML.

After 11 year battle with cancer she was taken to her heavenly home on December 29, 2016. At her request her body has been donated to the UNR School of Medicine, Reno.

She was preceded in death by her father, Ervin; brother, Michael; grandparents and numerous aunts, uncles and cousins.

She leaves behind her husband Jim; her mother, Marion; brothers, James Reinke (VA), Eliot (Kari) Reinke, Bismarck, ND and Jeffrey (Jody) Reinke; nieces, Sara, Aparna, and Morgan; nephews, Jordan, Aaron, and Colton; great niece, Avrey and great nephews, Eli, Henry, Levi, Owen, William, and Jake.

In Lieu of flowers, the family is requesting donations e made to The Lutheran Hour, Lutheran Bible Translators, Bethlehem Lutheran Church (Carson City, NV) organ fund or the Food Bank of Nevada.