Ina Marie (Barnes) Brown

Ina Marie Brown, 74, of Altenburg, passed away Sunday, June 22, 2025, at Auburn Creek in Cape Girardeau.

She was born on August 3, 1950, in Lesterville, Missouri, daughter of Joseph Jewell and Willow Faye Pogue Barnes.

Ina was one of a kind-a woman with a heart too big for this world and a stubborn streak that could outlast a Missouri summer. She gave everything she had to others, often at the expense of herself. Her home was always open, her love was unconditional, and her loyalty never wavered. She helped raise her grandkids and great-grandkids with the same fierce devotion she gave her own-and occasionally let them get away with things their parents never could.

She was a country girl through and through. She loved the farm, her horses, and being outdoors. She was tough as nails but soft where it mattered. She lived with a quiet kind of faith-the kind you don't preach because you're too busy living it. She believed in doing right by others, standing up for the people she loved, and handling life her way-usually with no filter, no fuss, and no apologies.

Ina didn't follow the rules-she rewrote them. She raised her family with grit, humor, and grace, and somehow managed to embarrass us and inspire us all at the same time. She wasn't perfect, but she was perfectly herself. And that's exactly what made her unforgettable.

She leaves behind a legacy of love, strength, and a thousand memories that will continue to make us laugh, cry, and wonder how she pulled half of it off.

We miss her already. And if you were lucky enough to know her, you know exactly why.

We love you, Mom. You were everything to us.

Loving survivors include two children, Will Rogers of Cape Girardeau and Jamie Steger (Luke Basler) of Altenburg; grandchildren, Brittany (Brandon) Simpher, Oren, Arlie and Konnor Basler; and Harley Ledbetter; great grandchildren Shiloh and Rhys Simpher.

Also surviving are five siblings, Ronald (Marguerite) Barnes, Donald Barnes and Imogene Firkins all of Annapolis, Missouri; Willow (Albert) Beal of Farmington. Wayne (Linda) Barnes of DeSoto.

Visitation will be Friday, June 27, 2025, from 10 a.m. until service time at McCombs Funeral Home and Cremation Center in Jackson.

The Rev. Robin Byron will conduct the funeral service at noon on Friday, June 27, 2025, at the funeral home.

The family suggests that contributions be made to donors' charity of choice.

Online condolences may be sent to the family by visiting www.mccombsfuneralhome.com.