Barbara Lea Thomas Colvin

Barbara Lea Thomas was born to Ralph and Iona Bailey Thomas in 1953 in Mason City, Iowa. As the only girl of their four children Barbara had many experiences and escapades with her brothers which make excellent and almost unbelievable stories.

 After graduating from the Mason City High School Barbara attended NIACC (North Iowa Area Community College) from which she also graduated. She then continued her education career at the University of Northern Iowa where she earned her B. A. degree with a double major in Mathematics Education and Chemistry. Her first teaching position was at Lakota, Iowa where she learned some of the "tricks of the trade." Barbara then chose a larger challenge and started teaching in the New Hampton, Iowa High School where she has primarily taught geometry. One of the geometric functions she has introduced to me is how to make tessellation’s. I find this geometric activity to be very fascinating. It seems she finds some budding M. C. Eschers each year in her classes. Barbara has also taught a special math class for special high school students which sometimes culminated in a year-end auction. The students earned points (Play money) for work well done. With those points they could purchase various items (pencils candy bars trinkets note-pads etc.) which Barbara provided. Truly a learning experience as well as an incentive for the students. Barbara has now completed 20 years in the education field in which she has excelled and deserves much credit.

Barbara and Steven L. Colvin were married in October 1986 and they continue to live in New Hampton. One of Barbara’s many talents is her ability to create and make lovely crafts of many types: i.e. wheat weavings quillings embroidery counted cross stitch etc. to name only a few. Another commendable attribute of her ability is her organizing ability. Among the activities Barbara and Steve enjoy sharing is traveling and challenging crossword puzzles one of which was an M. C. Escher's works. When this particular puzzle was completed it was 12 feet long (more or less) by 12 inches high which they framed and now display in their home. One of Barbara’s recent projects has been to help each of her parents enhance their genealogical lineage. What a thoughtful act to undertake. These projects included trips to each of Wisconsin and South Dakota to locate relatives and areas which her parents had many times mentioned; however to actually be there visit and view the particular surroundings was so rewarding to the Thomases.

It is indeed a privilege to honor Barbara in this way.

6/26/95