Raeburn E. Barnes Trust
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“The Barnes’ legacy will live in the lives of others for years to come.”
Judge Barnes was born in Champaign County in 1869. The Barnes family had migrated to that area in 1847. In 1884 the family moved to Sidney where Joseph graduated from Sidney High School. He completed his law degree at the University of Cincinnati in 1889 and passed the State Bar Exam at the age of 21. He immediately established a successful law practice in Sidney. In the early years of his legal work, he also served as city solicitor of Sidney and was elected to two terms as Shelby County Prosecutor.
The judge had a long and very successful tenure on the bench. Beginning in 1917, he served as judge of Shelby County Court of Common Pleas for 16 years. In 1933, he was appointed to the Second District Court of Appeals of Ohio and he served on that bench until an illness in 1944 forced his retirement.
Joseph Daniel Barnes not only had an outstanding record as a lawyer and jurist, but like his wife, he also contributed time and effort to improving the community in which he lived. It is said that his counsel and advice were sought by many groups in the community. He was head of the Shelby County Red Cross during W.W.I, served on the original hospital board when Wilson Memorial was built, was an active member of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church and held offices in both the Shelby County and the Ohio State Bar Association. He was also a member of the Board of Directors of Citizen’s National Bank.
Judge Barnes and his wife were exemplary citizens in the finest American tradition. Their legacy will live in the lives of others for years to come.