Barbara Marlene Mares

Barbara Marlene Mares, 74, of Pillager, Minnesota, passed away peacefully on March 5th, 2026, surrounded by family.

Barbara was born January 21st, 1952, in Brainerd, Minnesota, to Howard and Bernice Gillson. She lived most of her life in Pillager and the surrounding area, where she built a life centered on service, creativity, and love for her family.

She graduated from Pillager High School in 1970 and went on to earn her Bachelor’s degree in Education from Bemidji State University in 1983, followed by a Master’s degree in Collaborative Learning from Graceland University in Iowa. Barbara devoted her career to teaching Special Education, where her patience, compassion, and dedication touched countless young lives.

Barbara had a generous heart and hands that were rarely still. For many years, she volunteered with Angel Gowns, transforming donated wedding dresses into beautiful gowns for premature babies who’d passed on. She was an avid quilter and crafter, a passionate reader, and a devoted foster parent to many rescue dogs. Her flower gardens were a source of great joy, carefully tended and loved. When leukemia robbed her of her strength and energy in her final months, she found peace putting together botanical Lego sets and puzzles.

Above all, Barbara loved her children and gave them the best life she could. She was generous, kind, and had a colorful sense of humor that will be deeply missed.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Howard and Bernice Gillson, her brothers Robert and Calvin; and her sister Carol.

She is survived by her siblings Don of Pillager, Jerry of Wyoming, and Arlene of Staples, as well as her three children, Katrina (Bill) Gallagher, Plymouth, MN, Tim Glaim, Seattle, WA, and Jaime (Mitchell) Craig, Portage, WI, and two grandchildren, Amelia and Connor.

A funeral service will be held on Tuesday, March 10, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. at Staples Assembly of God Church.