Jolene Elizabeth Barthel, age 85, of Fenwick Island, DE formerly of Silver Spring, MD and Clarksburg, WV went home to be with the Lord on Sunday June 8, 2025, while surrounded by her loving family in Wilmington, NC.

Jolene was born in a small town in Wetzel County, West Virgina. She spent most of her early school years helping care for an ailing aunt in the town of Clarksburg, WV. where she attended school. Upon graduating high school, she was recruited by the Federal Government and moved to Washington, DC to take a job with the Central Intelligence Agency as a secretary.

Soon after she met the love of her life, John. After knowing each other only three months they married and spent the next 63.5 wonderful years together. Their love story is one for the story books. When the first of four kids was born, she left her government job to be a full-time mom.  While raising her kids she kept busy sewing & crafting. She also worked part time in a daycare center, for Weight Watchers, did taxes for H&R Block, and was a Girl Scout leader.

When her husband later retired, they moved to Fenwick Island, DE, where they lived for almost 30 years. While in Fenwick she served their church, Ocean View Church of Christ, through working with the children's ministry and VBS program, and helped with church lunches for visiting pastors. Jolene also worked in a clothing retail store, volunteered with the Bethany Beach Fire Company's Ladies Auxiliary for over 10 years and enjoyed life at the beach. After John passed, she moved to Wilmington, NC so she could be closer to one of her daughters.

In addition to her parents, she was proceeded in death by her loving husband, John E. Barthel and her brother, Walter Vernon Morris. Jolene is survived by her four children, Barbara Deyhle and her husband Walter, of Wallace, NC; Doug Barthel and his wife, Marisa of Keller, TX; Beverly Van Roekel and her husband, Brad of Sterling, VA; and Matthew Barthel and his wife, Theresa of Leesburg, VA; 11 grandchildren, Jonathan Deyhle, Steven Deyhle, Michael Deyhle, Andrew Deyhle, Melissa Hawkins, Jennifer Edgemon, Brittany Van Roekel, Ben Van Roekel, Grace Edwards, Sam Barthel, and Betty Barthel; and 15 great grandchildren.

A visitation will be held from 11 AM – 12 PM on Monday, June 16, 2025, followed by a funeral service on the same day at 12 PM, at the Ocean View Chapel of Melson Funeral Services, 38040 Muddy Neck Rd., Ocean View, DE. A private Internment will follow at the Delaware Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Millsboro, DE where she will be buried with her husband, John.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions in Jolene's name to Lower Cape Fear LifeCare, 1414 Physicians Drive, Wilmington, NC 28401, to thank them for providing the best care for Jolene and her family during the last week of Jolene's life.