She was surrounded by her loving family. Neva was proud to have lived independently at home until the Lord called her home.
Visitation will be held from 10:30 a.m. to noon on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, at Ebenezer Reformed Church in Morrison. Her funeral service will follow at noon, with Rev. J.T. Bean, pastor of Ebenezer Reformed Church and Mr. Ken Renkes co-officiating. The Morrison Chapel of the Bosma-Renkes Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. Interment will be at Grove Hill Cemetery in Morrison. A memorial has been established to Ebenezer Reformed Church.
Neva was born May 13, 1927, in Fenton, IL, the daughter of Clark R. and Stella (Barnhard) Nelson. She was educated in the Valley Grade School of rural Whiteside County and graduated from Erie High School in 1945. She continued her education at Mount St. Clare College in Clinton, IA, where she earned her War Emergency Certificate. On June 3, 1948, she married Bernie Baar in Morrison, Illinois. Together, they shared more than 72 years of marriage before his passing on December 4, 2020. Neva began her career teaching in a one-room schoolhouse, where she taught for three years. She later joined her husband in farming the “peat bottoms” and helped raise their family on Baar’s Potato Farm near Fenton, IL. Her dedication and contributions to farm life and agricultural were recognized when she was named Farm Woman of the Year in 1982. Neva was a member of Ebenezer Reformed Church, where she faithfully attended Sunday School. She was also actively involved in her children’s lives through 4-H, serving as a leader for the Fenton Working Wonders and Cottonwood 4-H Clubs and especially enjoyed choreographing skits for her children to perform at 4-H events. Neva loved her role as a genealogist, spending much of her free time digging into family history. She also enjoyed playing the piano and sharing her love of music by teaching piano lessons to many students over the years.
Neva was the matriarch of her family. She told them often that she felt so blessed to be surrounded by the love of her family. She will be fondly remembered as a strong, smart, responsible, determined, loving woman with an unwavering faith in the Lord.
Survivors include four daughters, Sue Leslie of Clinton, IA, Mary (Kim) Schaefer of Morrison, IL, Beth Anne (Baar) Bush-Balk & fiancé Scott Meinsma of Morrison, IL, Shelley (Phil) Harold of DeKalb, IL; one son, Steven (Gwen) Baar – Morrison, IL; fourteen grandchildren; thirty great-grandchildren; seven step-grandchildren; four step-great-grandchildren; one great-great-grandson; two sisters, Virginia Bush-Scidmore and Esther Mohns both of Morrison, IL; one brother, Neil Richard “Danny” (Linda) Nelson of Fenton, IL.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Bernie; one infant daughter, Shari Lee Baar; one grandson: Andrew John “Andy” Bush, four sons-in-law, Brent Miller, Doug Leslie, Roger Bush and Brian Balk; two sisters, Joyce (Bill) Snyder and Wanda (Chuck) Riggen; four brothers-in-law, Lawrence Mohns, Jerry Bush, Tom Scidmore and Elmer Huizenga; one sister-in-law, Gertrude Huizenga.
To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Neva, please visit the floral store. Condolences can be shared at bosmarenkes.com.
