A Colfax couple who know cancer all too well started an art exhibit to raise money for coach, student battling the same fate

Beverly Barnett was in the hospital right before Christmas when she and her husband learned Colfax boys basketball coach Reece Jenkin was diagnosed with stage-four pancreatic cancer.

Barnett could relate. She was diagnosed with stage-four ovarian cancer on her birthday in January 2025. The Colfax community rallied behind Barnett and her husband, Kelly, with a spaghetti feed fundraiser that summer.

Despite fighting their own cancer battle, the married couple of 40 years and somewhat new residents to Colfax wanted to express their appreciation for the benefit dinner and give back to its generous community.

They were already planning an art exhibit featuring their Palouse-inspired watercolor paintings of barns, and figured they would convert it into a fundraiser for the Jenkin family and Kage Cox, a Colfax High school student also battling cancer.

“Let’s make it a fundraiser, and make it so much better than just an art show,” Kelly said. “Now it has purpose.”

The Colfax Library jumped on board and featured the Barnetts’ 100 colorful watercolor paintings, dubbed the “100 Barnett Barns,” during February inside the Libey Art Gallery at the library. The proceeds from the watercolor sales went to the Jenkin and Cox families.

Kelly hadn’t tallied all the donations, but estimated Friday that more than $5,000 was raised. He said the turnout to the exhibit was amazing even though several fundraisers were held for Jenkin and Cox.

“This still got an incredible turnout and support, so that just shows you that there’s no limit to this community’s generosity,” Kelly said.

Jenkin died from his cancer battle last week. He was 45 and leaves behind a wife and three children.

“It’s a huge, huge loss for this community,” Beverly said.

Jenkin’s undefeated basketball team, including his son and star player Adrik Jenkin, continues to play for him in the state tournament with a chance at the state title Saturday at Numerica Veterans Arena in Spokane.

Kelly, a school bus driver, learned of his passing while he was taking down the art exhibit one week ago.

He called Reece a leader.

“Obviously, he led our team, but he led our district,” he said. “He had high standards, but he lived it.”

He said he was kind and always had time for people.

“You could see his desk was piled high with papers,” Kelly said. “He might even be on the phone, but he’d make time for you right away. Always treated you with the most respect and everything, even a lowly bus driver. Everyone was important. He made you feel that way.”

A GoFundMe for Cox said he was diagnosed last year with stage-four lymphoma.

Kelly, 67, described Cox as a happy kid. He rode Kelly’s school bus, but often walked everywhere he went.

“He’s a kind, happy guy,” Beverly said.

Beverly, 69, said she’s now cancer free.

“I’m thrilled about that,” she said.

She said she feels good and can see the light at the end of the tunnel, but will continue to do chemotherapy as a “maintenance” treatment.

“Between good doctors and nurses and this great community, and especially God, we can get through anything,” her husband said.

The Barnetts moved in 2000 to Spokane, where they lived for several years, and their two sons graduated from Ferris High School. The couple, who met in art school at Brigham Young University in Utah, came to Spokane from Kansas City, Missouri, home of Hallmark Cards, where Kelly Barnett worked as an artist.

“I wasn’t gonna marry an artist,” Beverly joked.

Kelly joked his good job at Hallmark “won her over.”

After Spokane, they lived eight years on the West Side, where Beverly grew up, before settling three years ago in Colfax, where one of their sons lives.

Kelly worked as an art teacher at Colfax High before quitting to help care for his wife. He continues to drive a school bus for the school district.

They’ve been enjoying the last two years living in a 28-foot-long travel trailer they pull behind their truck.

The Barnetts, members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, planned to travel in the trailer through several states for a church mission trip, but Beverly’s cancer diagnosis halted that plan.

“This is our mission, is getting through this cancer stuff,” Beverly said.

An optimist, Kelly said everything still worked out “perfect” despite canceling their trip.

“Instead of serving people that we don’t know, now we’ve already got this great relationship with this community, and so why not right here?” he said. “Why not give to the community that you live in rather than go around the world to try and do something.”

Jill Cocking, who teaches sixth-graders in Colfax, notices Kelly’s bright personality.

“He’s the most positive person I’ve ever met,” she said.

His signature even includes a sunshine with a smiley face.

“That is just the epitome of him,” Cocking said. “He just brings sunshine wherever he goes. He’s amazing.”

Always smiling, Kelly waves at every car that drives by him while he’s driving the school bus.

She wasn’t surprised the Barnetts’ kindness spilled over into their art exhibit. She said about 40 people were ready to support the Jenkin and Cox families when the exhibit opened.

Hailey Criswell, secretary at Jennings Elementary School in Colfax, called Kelly a “joy.”

He often comes into the school office and students swarm him, she said.

“Students will just stop what they’re doing and kids that aren’t even on his bus will come over for a hug,” Criswell said. “It’s like a celebrity walked in sometimes. He just seems to know how to brighten everybody’s day.”

She said Kelly makes people feel seen and happy.

“We all say we want to be like Kelly,” Criswell said.

Beverly has had a series of operations in the past year, but the two took the hardship on with overwhelming support from the town they’ve fallen in love with.

The community surprised Beverly with a spaghetti feed at the high school cafeteria about five months after she was diagnosed and at a time when she wasn’t feeling well. The room was packed with people, many they did not know.

“The community just rallied around us,” Kelly said. “It was overwhelming.”

Besides the dinner fundraiser, the community constantly sent prayers, drove Beverly home from the store and even gave the couple money.

She said she and her husband were walking down the road one day when one resident pulled out a $100 bill and handed it to them.

“You don’t even know them and they know who you are,” she said. “They come and say, ‘We’re praying for you.’ Incredible community.”

The couple said they knew instantly they would make their art show a fundraiser for Reece and Cox after learning of their cancer battles.

“It became all about Reece and Kage,” Kelly said.

The couple had completed about 90 of their barn watercolors by December and wanted to do 10 more for the exhibit. Beverly said they started painting watercolors in Colfax because they became enamored with the Palouse’s rolling hills and barns.

“Our car is our studio, so we’ll pull off to the side of the road and do a watercolor right on site,” Kelly said.

That’s how they created most of the barn watercolors.

“It’s super fun. It never gets old,” Kelly said. “Art is something you can do ‘til you’re 100 if you want, as long as you can hold that brush.”

Visit https://sites.google.com/csd300.org/100barnettbarns/home to buy a painting. The money will go to the Jenkin and Cox families.

Kelly said cancer has made him realize what’s important in life.

“I would not wish cancer on anybody, but it has brought us closer together as a couple,” he said. “It’s brought us closer as a community, and it’s brought us closer to God.”