Claremore - Tonya Jolyn Barnes was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on March 28, 1972, to Bobbie Sue Stringfield and Charles Glen Hayes. At the age of ten, her mother married Joe Layman, through whom Tonya gained a loving father and sister, Joe Layman and Sherry Davenport. She graduated from Catoosa High School in 1990 and went on to attend Tulsa Tech, where she obtained her CNA license that same year. Tonya dedicated over 25 years of service as a lead cashier at Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, where she was deeply loved and admired by her coworkers and guests alike. She shared 35 wonderful years of marriage with her husband and best friend, Rick Barnes. Together, they raised three daughters and found immeasurable joy in their six great-grandchildren.

Tonya was a proud Cherokee Native American and a God-fearing woman whose faith guided her life and the way she loved others. She was kind, generous, loving, caring, intelligent, talented, bubbly, and beautiful - inside and out. Above all, she cherished her roles as a daughter, sister, mother, wife, nana, and friend, pouring her heart into everyone she loved. In one of the bravest and most selfless decisions of her life, Tonya chose to be an organ donor, giving another family the gift of life. Through that decision, she has already saved a life, leaving behind a legacy of love, faith, and generosity that will continue to inspire all who knew her.

Family was the center of her world, and she took immense joy in watching her grandchildren play their sports, always cheering them on with pride and encouragement. She treasured traveling and fishing adventures with her husband, Rick, and cherished quiet, meaningful moments with her three daughters. Her passions included soccer, rooting for OU softball, visiting the casino, reading, and watching true crime documentaries. She adored caring for her beloved grand-pup, Rocky, and found comfort in cozy clothes and the simple delight of a snowy day. Above all, her heart was happiest when she could bring love, joy, and laughter to those she held dear.

She was preceded in death by her mother, Bobbie Sue Stringfield; her father, Charles Glen Hayes; her grandmother, Mary Smith; her grandfather, Robert Springfield; her aunt, Patricia Baker; and her uncle, William Stringfield.

She is survived by her husband, Rick Barnes; her daughters, Brittany and her husband, Corey Feeney, Brooke and her husband, Kyle Leslie, and Braelyn and her husband, Brenden Lynch; and her six great-grandchildren, Keelyn, Kolson, Koreigh, Knoxson, Locklyn, and Bishop. She is also survived by her brother, Bobby Jo Hayes.

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Philippians 4:13