A CHAMPION farmer, a renowned prankster and dedicated family man, Barry Steffens was farewelled in a ceremony celebrating his life recently.

Raised in Lake Clarendon on the family farm, Barry was born on August 17, 1942, going to school at the nearby Morton Vale State School.

The end of school days saw Barry commit to a life on the land, firstly working with his parents and then eventually taking over the farm.

Married twice, Barry was firstly wed to Marion in 1964, the start of a long and happy life together, until she passed away in 2000 from cancer.

It was during this time that Barry and Marion raised two children, Paul and their daughter Shevaun, with Paul remaining on the farm with his father until after Marion's passing.

The duo were popular at dances around the district, with son Paul recalling them regularly heading off to dances at Glenore Grove, Blenheim and other halls around the district.

Running his own farm, Barry loved growing potatoes, and the Sabago variety was a personal favourite, although this was not the only crop to come off the farm.

Son Paul said the other crops the farm was well known for producing included onion, corn, pumpkin, cabbages and even lucerne.

"Lucerne was a very thirsty crop, when the droughts set in and water was scarce, we pulled back on the lucerne, but cabbages were a great dry weather crop for Dad," Paul said.

With the return of the good water, Barry was twice a champion corn grower in competitions sponsored by seed manufacturer Pioneer.

The prize for one of these competitions included a trip to the USA for Barry and Marion,

Sadly for Barry and the rest of the family, Marion passed away in 2000, not long after returning from that trip, leading to the eventual sale of the family farm.

With Marion's passing, Barry moved to Woodford, but his love of country dances soon had him out and about, leading to a meeting with his future second wife Carol in 2005, thanks to some mutual friends.

Barry's first home visit to Carol was while she recovered from an operation, and deciding he should not arrive empty handed, turned up brandishing not the usual chocolates and flowers but a gift basket of potatoes and other vegetables, all grown in his home garden.

But with Carol also coming 'off the land', the gift was accepted in the manner it was offered, and the relationship took off, with Barry and Carol married in 2007 in a garden ceremony at Woodford.

Unfortunately, by this time, Barry was beginning to suffer a number of health issues, including a bout of prostate cancer when he turned 60.

A battle with thyroid cancer followed, while shortly after his wedding to Carol, a stent was implanted in his heart, although his ability to bounce back astounded family and friends, who described him as the quickest healer they had seen.

In 2013 though, Barry developed a tumour on the wall of his stomach, and while it was successfully removed, along with one of his kidneys, the disease had moved into his bloodstream, and Barry knew his life would be cut short by the disease.

Despite this, he and Carol continued to travel, including a trip to Norfolk Island and a 'Country and Western' cruise with friends, and long distance holidays in their caravan, with one notable trip taking them to Darwin.

Paul and his wife Donna, with children Charlie and Allanis had also returned to the Lockyer Valley by this time, with Charlie and Barry forming a strong bond.

Paul also bought Barry a mini irrigator that ran off his bore, ensuring his vegetable garden and his much cared for lawn were always in good shape. Barry Steffens passed away on March 1, 2016.