March 3, 1937 — May 6, 2016

Barbara Jean Yaw, 79, of Dowagiac, Michigan, passed away at Borgess Medical Center, Kalamazoo, Michigan on May 6th, 2016.

She was born in Mishawaka, Indiana on March 3, 1937, to Walter and Madiline (DeSmet) Riege who preceded her in death.

On Dec. 17, 1954, she married Walter “Jerry” Yaw in Mishawaka. He passed away Aug. 18, 2006.

Barbara was retired from Thermal Plastics after serving as a team leader and also worked at Genisis Molding, retiring in 1995. She was a former member of the Mishawaka Moose, serving as Senior Regent, the Eagles of Dowagiac and the Moose of Dowagiac. She is survived by her children: Sherryl (Paul) Bixby of Osceola, Jerry (Mimi) Yaw of Dowagiac, Larry Yaw of South Bend and Mark (Christine) Yaw of Oregon. She is survived by 13 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren along with her sisters, Virginia Shireman of Osceola, Margaret Copp of Robinson, Illinois and Sharon (John) Walters of Fair Oaks, Indiana.

She was preceded in death by four brothers, Leo Riege, George Riege, Robert “Billy” Riege and John Riege along with two sisters, Marie Amato and Dorothy Graham. Funeral services for Barbara will be held at Bubb Funeral Chapel, 3910 N. Main St., Mishawaka at 1p.m. Tuesday, May 10, 2016. Friends will be received from 11 a.m. until the time of the services at 1 p.m. Tuesday. Burial will follow the services at Fairview Cemetery, Mishawaka. The family wishes memorial contributions to be given to Hospice in memory of Barbara.