BARKER, Sophia 1856 - 1925

BARKER, BARBER, OAKES, POWELL

Posted By: Pat Hochstetler, Volunteer (email)
Date: 4/25/2013 at 07:10:11

In the death of Mrs. A. H. Barker, which occurred at the family home last Saturday shortly after noon, Brooklyn lost one of its most respected wives and mothers.

Although never robust in health, and often handicapped by her delicate condition, she looked after her home and children in a way that won her the respect of all who knew her. In fact, the environs of her home received the benefit of almost her entire time and efforts. She was distinctly a home loving person and as a mother she was unexcelled, her whole objective being to make her home pleasant in the sight of God.

Her friends and neighbors speak of her as a very neighborly woman, most kind and considerate, and although she was not active socially, she was, until health forbade further participation, active in the church work especially foreign missions. Funeral services were held at the M.E. church, Monday afternoon at 2:30 o’clock, Rev. Fowler officiating, and interment was made in I.O.O.F. cemetery.

Pallbearers were A. W. Manatt, Frank Talbott, C. J. Dunlap, W. I. Wasson, J. L. Williams and Herbert Brannian.

Sophia, the 9th child of Robert Barber and Harriet Elizabeth Oakes Barber was born August 19, 1856 at Guelph, Ontario, Canada and departed this life after a lingering illness of several months, at her home in Brooklyn, Iowa, at 1:00 o’clock Saturday afternoon, February 14, 1925, aged 68 years, 5 months, and 25 days.

She was happily married April 30, 1884 to Dr. A. H. Barker. To this union were born 3 children—Alfred who is pastor of the Methodist Church at Montezuma, Ada who is engaged in Social Service work in Rock Island, Ill., and Frank who is farming at Storm Lake, Iowa.

After their marriage they lived at Black River Falls, Wis., where all the children were born. They later moved to Grinnell where they lived for several years before coming to Brooklyn, in 1896, where they have since lived. Mrs. Barker was a great lover of her home and her life was given to her family. It was her great desire to so live before them and to so bring them up that they all might be faithful and earnest Christians.

She was never, at any time in her life, very rugged in health. Last September she was stricken with the illness that proved to be her last. At first she responded to medical treatment and it seemed as if she were going to recover, but about Christmas time she took a turn for the sores and gradually declined, until on Saturday she reached a peaceful end. Her weeks of suffering were cheered by the constant attendance and tender care of the husband and of the only daughter, who immediately left her work at Rock Island and was with her mother to the end.

When a girl, Mrs. Barker joined the Wesleyan Methodist Church of Canada at Everton, Ontario. Later she transferred her membership to the Methodist Episcopal Church and was constant in attendance as long as health would permit.

Besides her grieving companion, and the children, there remain to mourn her departure a sister, Mrs. Victoria Powell of Fullerton, California, and two brothers, Robert and John of Guelph, Ontario and four grandchildren.

Source: Unknown newspaper clipping found in scrapbook belonging to my great grandmother, Edith (Kann) Newton.