Mary Alice Price

Mary Alice Price (née Barnes) was born on December 27, 1948, in Fort Madison, Iowa, to John “Jack” and Alice (Billman) Barnes. On August 14, 2026, with the beautiful skies of Casper, Wyoming beyond her window, Mary’s remarkable journey came to a close.

From the beginning, Mary’s life was painted in colors of curiosity and compassion. She navigated her early years under the loving guidance of her parents and alongside her siblings, John and Jackie. Though Jackie, Jack, and Alice have passed before her, their memories were cherished touchstones, woven gently through Mary’s days.

Mary discovered an early calling—a driving purpose that would continue to define her: caring for others. She channeled her nurturing nature into a path of healing, graduating from Nursing School at Southeastern Community College in Keokuk, Iowa. From 1984, she became a registered nurse, giving more than 30 years of attentive, empathetic care to those in nursing homes. For Mary, nursing was never just a job—it was her way of embracing the world’s needs, of giving dignity and comfort to the vulnerable. Her patients remember her humor, her steadiness, and the adventurous twinkle in her eye that made even the hardest days lighter.

Endlessly curious, Mary’s adventurous spirit animated all corners of her life. She loved traveling, especially when it enabled her to weave new stories through her profession. Every trip was a chance to gather more of the world—its people, places, and laughter. Mary was also a lover of quiet joys: she found serenity with a paintbrush in hand, the colors of her imagination blooming on canvas. In her garden, she brought life to flowers and vegetables, finding peace among the earth’s miracles. When she went fishing or hiking, she was in her element, marveling at nature’s small wonders and collecting pretty rocks, each one a miniature monument to her playful wonder.

Mary was enlivened by the thrill of basketball, cheering fiercely for the Celtics. Her living room resonated with shouts and laughter during every tense playoff—a reflection of her good humor and the vibrant energy she brought to everything she did.

Politically active and deeply engaged, Mary approached the world with a sharp mind and an unyielding sense of justice. Her conversations were thoughtful and spirited, always colored by the laughter she so freely shared. Friends and family delighted in her wit.

Of everything Mary accomplished, nothing filled her with deeper pride than her beloved son, Seth Barnes, daughter-in-law, Deanna, and granddaughter, Norah Barnes. Their happiness and wellbeing were the stars by which she navigated her own life. Her brother, John Barnes, remains as a living connection, sustaining the family thread.

Mary Alice Price lived a life of purpose, kindness, and adventure, her footprints left indelibly on the hearts of those who knew her and in the lives of the many she cared for as a nurse. Her legacy will resonate in every story remembered around the table, every painted landscape, and every loving word shared among those she leaves behind.

She will be missed beyond measure, remembered always by Seth, Deanna, Norah, her brother John, and the many friends, and patients’ lives she touched along her lengthy, grace-filled journey.