Delores Jeanette (Edwards) Barrentine

Delores Jeanette (Edwards) Barrentine, age 91, of Graham, Washington passed away on the morning of January 26, 2023.  Delores was born on November 12, 1931, the first child of John Richard Edwards and Helene Sofie (Fjeldal) Edwards Ahlquist Steen, residents of Cove.  After John’s untimely death, Helene was remarried to Charles Axel Ahlquist, Sr. in 1937, together they raised Delores and two younger siblings, Marlene and Charles Ahlquist.  Vashon Island school records indicate that Delores was known to others as Delores Ahlquist although her last name was never officially changed from Edwards to Ahlquist.  Delores graduated from Vashon High School in 1950 and attended Mary Stone’s Beauty College the following year in Seattle to become certified as a beautician.  On March 12, 1951, Delores married Harold E. Barrentine, Jr. and together they moved to Delaware for a year before returning to the Pacific Northwest to settle in Seattle in 1952. Together, Harold and ‘Dolly’ raised five sons.  Her sons loved her dearly, and she will be remembered as a loving mother and grandmother.

Delores will also be remembered for her strong faith in God.  Her Christian faith was a fundamental aspect of her life: Delores’ love for Jesus was unwavering.  Delores delighted in the beauty of the natural world.  She was a dedicated gardener who possessed an impressive knowledge of Pacific Northwest shrubs and flowers, and she was especially fond of tending her many varieties of rhododendrons.  

Delores was preceded in death by her husband Harold E. Barrentine, Jr. (1929-2005) and son Sherman B. Barrentine (1958-2016).  She is survived by her four living sons, Carl (Shelby), Wayne (Marianne), Bryan (Susan), and Harold L. Barrentine; four adoring granddaughters Emily, Erin, Kaitlyn, and Sarah (Chase Kaufman); and her sister Marlene Ahlquist Simons and brother Charles Axel Ahlquist, Jr.

Graveside services for family members and friends of Delores will be held at 1:00 p.m. Friday, February 10, 2023 at the Vashon Cemetery. 

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