Kenneth Harold Barnes

1939 - 2021

Kenneth Harold Barnes

Beloved pastor, Kenneth Harold Barnes, passed away in his home on December 3, 2021. Kenneth Harold Hoberg was born on January 5, 1939, to Marion and Harold Hoberg in Oakland, CA. After losing Harold to heart disease in 1944,
Marion remarried a WWII veteran, William Barnes, who adopted Ken and his brother, David, at which point they also adopted the name Barnes. Shortly after, Ken's sister Elaine was born and they all lived in Kelseyville, CA.
As vital members of the agricultural tight-knit community, Ken grew to become a force in athletics. Playing football, basketball and running track for Kelseyville High, Ken established several records, at least one of which still stands to this day. He was also valedictorian for his high school class.
From Kelseyville, Ken first went to Redlands College in Southern California on a part-time football scholarship then transferred to the University of California at Berkeley to finish his degree in political science. He was a lifelong Cal Bear. We are happy to report, his last game to watch his beloved bears, resulted in their overwhelming defeat of the arch-rival Stanford University.
After graduating UC Berkeley, he trained at the S.F. Theological Seminary. During his time in Seminary, he and a bus load of ministers drove from the Bay Area to Selma, Alabama, to March with Dr. Martin Luther King after the Selma massacre. Ken was ordained by the Presbyterian Church in 1965, later transferring his credentials to the United Church of Christ. He served a Presbyterian parish in Scotland before beginning a legacy of service to Local Churches in NCNC-UCC. His settled pastoral ministry included Orinda Community Church, United Church of Hayward, and Arlington Community Church for 22 years before serving churches nationwide as an interim minister (including First Congregational Church of Sonoma, Community Congregational Church in
Tiburon, and First Congregational Church of San Rafael). His final interim position was at his childhood church, Kelseyville Presbyterian Church.
In the summer of 1968, Ken proposed to
Donna Brazzi and the two were married on September 15. The couple had met a decade earlier when they were both working at Hoberg's Resort and fell in love on the dance floor. In 1973, they became the proud parents of a little girl, Monica. The family spent their summer vacations in Lake County and visited often to see family and swim in Clear Lake. Their last visit was this past August and the two photos above are from this time in Lake County.
Ken is survived by his wife Donna, daughter Monica, son-in-law David, brother David, sister Elaine and an enormous cadre of cousins, nieces, and nephews. Ken was a proud member of Alcoholics Anonymous, a role model within the community with 48 years of sobriety. He was a lifelong Cal Bear and joked that he still had a few years of eligible play if the UC Berkeley football team ever needed him. The family is happy to report that in one of the last games he watched, his beloved team defeated their arch-rival Stanford University. Ken was an amazing spirit whose open heart and devout Christian faith allowed him to touch the lives of all with whom he came into contact. He will be deeply missed
Memorial: Sunday, December 19, at 2 p.m., the Arlington Community Church, Kensington. Proof of vaccination and mask required to attend.