Marian Jeannette (Barnhart) Sandberg

Marian Jeannette Barnhart Sandberg went home to be with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on December 27, 2023. Marian was born on July 30, 1930 in Belfield, ND. She was the youngest of five children of Anna and Andrew Barnhart, homesteaders who had come from Minnesota.

It was during World War II when Marian was 13 that her family uprooted from the prairie and relocated to the shipyards of the Pacific Northwest. Marian went from attending a one-room schoolhouse to a school of 2,000 students in Tacoma, WA. She missed North Dakota and especially her saddle horse, Lady. But city life had many advantages. She was soon involved in a Bible Club where she heard The Good News about Jesus’ forgiveness and love; she accepted Christ as her Lord when she was 14.

In 1953, Marian graduated with an elementary education degree from Seattle Pacific College. She was teaching first grade in 1955, when Carl Sandberg, stationed at nearby Fort Lewis, noticed her pretty self in the church choir; they were married five months later. Two years later, they were in Philadelphia where Carl attended Westminster Seminary. All three of their children (Nancy, John, and Ruth) were born during the five years in Pennsylvania. In between babies, Marian taught to help put Carl through school.

When Carl finished seminary in 1954, the family moved to northern Virginia where Marian continued teaching and spent the next 53 years as a loving, selfless wife, nurturing mother, and faithful servant of Jesus. Mom (Marian) taught Sunday School and played the piano at church for decades. Many Sundays found visitors around her table after church. In 1991, Marian retired from teaching after more than 35 years.

Carl went ahead to heaven in 2007, after 51 years of marriage.

Marian leaves behind her children: Nancy Sandberg of Triangle, VA, John (Willetta) Sandberg of Manassas, VA, and Ruth (Brian) Houser of Athens, PA. She was especially proud of her four grandchildren: Sarah Sandberg, Joseph Sandberg, Autumn Houser, and Jack Houser. She was also blessed with one great-grandchild, Archer Willis.

Her one goal in life was to faithfully serve her Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. She succeeded so much better than she knew.

The family will gather for services in Virginia. Following the services, Marian will be laid to rest next to her beloved Carl at the Quantico National Cemetery, Triangle, Virginia. The family is being cared for by Lowery-Urban Funeral Home and Cremation Services, Inc., Athens, PA.

The family would like to acknowledge the many years of kindness and care Marian received at the hands of the staff at Sayre Personal Care Residence, who truly loved Marian and treated all of us like family.

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