FREDERICK DOUGLAS BARNES

Frederick Douglas Barnes was born on April 20th, 1935, in a small town called Byromville, in Dooley County Georgia. He was the seventh of eleven children born to the late Georgian Tinsley Barnes and General Barnes Jr.

Frederick grew up on a farm where the family raised mules, cows, pigs, and chickens and grew cotton, peanuts, corn, watermelons, pecans and had various fruit trees. His parents sold their farm and moved Frederick and the family to Kansas City, KS in January 1951.

Frederick attended Northeast Junior High School and Sumner High School in Kansas City, Kansas where he was an exceptionally good student and excelled in track. He graduated from Sumner High School in 1956.

Frederick joined the Marines after High School in 1956 and served 3 years. He was stationed in Japan and served as a machinist. He was awarded the “Good Conduct Medal,” which is awarded to a marine who demonstrates obedience, sobriety, military proficiency, neatness, and intelligence during three years of continuous active service. While in Japan, Frederick studied martial arts and became highly proficient in  Karate. He was discharged in 1959 after achieving the rank of Lance Corporal.

After Frederick completed his military service, he attended trade school at “U.S. Trade” in Kansas City, Missouri. He received a diploma in Auto and Diesel Mechanics. He began working for himself as an owner-operator truck driver. In 1969, he became an over-the-road truck and local truck operator. He became a member of OOIDA (Owner Operator and Independent Drivers Association). He eventually became a member of the Board of Directors of the organization.

Throughout his life, Frederick expressed a keen interest in investing in real estate by buying and selling numerous properties. On one property, he built a garage and office to house his trucking business (Fred Barnes Trucking Inc.). He will restore old cars and trucks and participate in many charitable efforts. He also was a member of the Kansas City  Masonic Lodge.

After almost 60 years of work, Frederick retired from his business interest in 2019.  However, he maintained his garage and his office complex.

Frederick is survived by three sisters, Hiawatha McKenzie of Kansas City, MO. Paulette (Reventer) Hare of Detroit, MI., and Hope Hill of Kansas City, MO; brother General Harold(Yavettea) Barnes of Kansas City, KS; cousins, nieces, nephews and a host of other friends and family.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of FREDERICK DOUGLAS BARNES, please visit our floral store.