Barbara (Barbi) Yenney Barnhill

Barbara (Barbi) Yenney Barnhill, 82, passed away on 5/5/19 in Pemberville, Ohio. Preceded in death by her husband Mark, Barbi is survived by her sister Nancy Archer, daughters Chandra (Ken) Fuss, Andrea, Belinda (Steve) Bengry, son Bruce (Linda), grandchildren Loren (Chris) Vaughn, Hunter (Crystal), Logan (Athena), Maddie, Rebecca Fuss, Parker and Tyler Bengry, and 3 great grandchildren.
Barbi was born in Sandusky, Ohio on September 28, 1936, graduated from Sandusky High School, and attended college at Michigan State, BGSU, and received an Associate’s Degree in Restaurant Management from a Community College in Kansas City, MO in 1975.
Although born and raised in Sandusky, Barbi spent the summers of her youth at Put-inBay, Ohio at the home owned by the family business, The E & K Wine Company. During one such summer she met her future husband, Mark, who was working as a cab driver at the resort island. They were married on December 27, 1955, and with Mark being a newly commissioned officer in the US Air Force, they moved to Texas, the first of many moves at the direction of
the USAF. From there they moved to Washington, Alaska, Utah, California, Ohio, Turkey, Missouri, and then back to Ohio in 1976. Barbi and Mark made their final move in 1986 to permanently reside at the family farm at Put-in-Bay, Ohio, converting the family home into the first B&B on the island.
Barbi, a devoted wife for 64 years and loving mother to her 4 children, was the quintessential military wife, or as she referred to herself, a “camp follower”. With every move she looked forward with excitement to making a new home for her family and meeting new friends. This was never more evident than the two years spent in Izmir, Turkey. There, Barbi wholeheartedly embraced the Turkish people and their culture, dispelling myths of the “ugly American” with her respectful enthusiasm and kindness. She was often invited into their Turkish homes for hot tea and warm conversations, overcoming the cultural and
language barriers.
Despite her zeal for adventure Barbi always seemed to be home to provide her loving care and comfort to her family. She was a cheerleader, teacher, chef, chauffer, B&B hostess, seamstress, vineyard worker, sailor, “momma-razzi” photographer, and the friendliest front porch conversationalist you could ever meet. Her warm, infectious smile and cheerful, kind heart made everyone feel welcomed, and her culinary talents, served up with love at her home and B&B, enticed everyone to keep coming back to visit with her.
Barbi cared deeply for her family, her Put-in-Bay home and community, and the 100’s of friends she made as she lived and travelled around the world. She will be greatly missed by her loving family and all those she loved, including the ladies of the Put-in-Bay chapter of OWLS (Old Women’s Literary Society), St. Paul Episcopal Church members, the BGSU Phi Tau wives, and the countless friends and B&B guests that were touched by her kindness and delighted in her famous Buttermilk Coffee Cake and Corn Pancakes. To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Barbara (Barbi) Yenney Barnhill, please visit our flower store.