BARLOW, Deacon Jack Arnold

BARLOW, WILSON, SHEEHY, GREINER, OBERG, HAYMAKER, BERNHARDT, BAILEY, TAYLOR, GRANDGENETT, NELSON, MOON

Posted By: Sharon R Becker (email)
Date: 10/30/2016 at 01:42:57

Obituary ~ Deacon Jack Arnold Barlow
May 28, 1935 ~ April 09, 2002

The Globe Gazette
Mason City, Cerro Gordo County, Iowa
April 11, 2002

MASON CITY -- Jack A. Barlow, 66, of 1526 8th St. S.W., died Tuesday (April 9, 2002) at Mercy Medical Center-North Iowa

A funeral Mass will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at St. Joseph's Catholic Church, 302 Fifth Street S.E., with the most Rev. Jerome Hanus, archbishop of the Archdiocese of Dubuque, presiding, the Rev. Carl Ries, concelebrating, assisted by Deacon Robert Mega. In attendance will be other deacons and priests of the Dubuque Archdiocese.

Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. today at Hogan-Bremer-Moore Colonial Chapel, 126 Third St. N.E. in Mason City, with a wake service beginning at 7 p.m. officiated by the Rev. Kenneth Gehling.

Jack Arnold Barlow was born on May 28, 1935, in Mason City, the son of Arthur and Bertha (Wilson) Barlow. He graduated from Mason City High School in 1953. After graduation, he worked at area clothing stores, including St. Clair Starks and Gildner's. He entered the U.S. Navy in 1956 and served as a storekeeper until his honorable discharge in 1958. After his discharge, he attended and graduated from Mason City Junior College with an associate of arts degree in 1959. Jack also attended Hamilton Business College, earning a junior executive accounting degree. He worked as a tax preparer and salesman in local paint stores until securing a position at Watertower Paint & Repair, Clear Lake, in 1963 as a bookkeeper. He was promoted and served as a purchasing agent and vice-president of the corporation, working there for over 38 years.

He was united in marriage to Joan Kathryn Sheehy on July 2, 1955, at Holy Family Catholic Church in Mason City. They made their home in Mason City. He was the father to three children, Michele, Ann and Patrick.

Jack entered training for the permanent diaconate for the Archdiocese of Dubuque in March 1975 in the first class of deacons. He appreciated this education provided by the Dominican fathers from the Aquinas Institute in Dubuque, Iowa. Archbishop James Byrne ordained him as deacon on November 5, 1978. Jack served as deacon for St. Joseph Parish, assisting with many ministries including wedding preparation, baptisms and wake services until his death. He also was active as a part-time chaplain at Mercy Medical Center-North Iowa for 21 years.

He loved to spend time with his children and grandchildren, enjoying woodworking, golf, and repairing his home - "the house that Jack built."

Those left to celebrate his life include his wife, Joan, of Mason City; three children, Michele Greiner and her husband, Michael, of Fairfield, Ann Oberg and her husband, Kevin, of Sioux Falls, S.D., and Patrick Barlow and his fiance, Lila Haymaker of Ames; two grandchildren, Alex and Kara Jo Greiner of Fairfield; two brothers, Richard Barlow and his wife, Louise, of Vincent, Ohio, and Edward Barlow and his wife, Marion, of Escondido, Calif.; three sisters, Betty Bernhardt and her husband, Fred, Ruth Bailey and her husband, Doug, and Sharon Taylor and her husband, Garry, all from Mason City; a sister-in-law, Carol (Grandgenett) Barlow of Mason City; and several nieces, nephews and friends.

Jack was preceded in death by his parents, his sister, Mary Jane Nelson, and his brothers, Jerry Barlow, Vernon Moon and Kenneth Moon.

The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Community Kitchen or the Northern Lights Homeless Shelter in Mason City in accord with the wishes of Jack, who wanted to follow the Lord's call to feed the hungry.

Hogan-Bremer-Moore Colonial Chapel, 423-2372.

[Interment was made at Elmwood-St. Joseph Cemetery.]

Transcription by Sharon R. Becker, October of 2016