Joe Manchester Barker, 84, died Sunday May 8th, 1966 at 6:30 p.m. at his home. Although he had been in failing health, death was unexpected. A retired farmer, he was born July 20, 1881, near Mount Zion, the son of James and Jane Agnew Barker. His marriage to Iva B. Keck took place Feb. 4, 1903, near Utica.
They were the parents of two children, Joe and Dolores, both of whom preceded him in death. Three sisters, three brothers and a great-grandchild also preceded him in death. Survivors include the widow, three granddaughters and eight great-grandchildren.
Mr. Barker was a member of the Keosauqua Methodist church.
Source: Van Buren Co. Genealogical Society Obituary Book B, page 171, Keosauqua Public Library; Keosauqua, IA
Additional Comments:
Joe was tall, medium build; had brown eyes and light brown hair. WW1 1918 Draft Registration. WW2 Draft Registration 1942, Joe was 6 feet tall, weighed 158 pounds, brown eyes, gray hair, ruddy complexion.
15 Jan 1920 – Lived on their farm, Mt. Zion, Van Buren Co., IA, with daughter Dolores (13).
Mar 1924 – Lived in Mesa, AZ.
1930 – Lived on their farm, Mt. Zion, Van Buren Co., IA. Son Loren J. (8) at home.
25 Apr 1940 – Lived on their farm, Mt Zion, Van Buren Co., IA. No children living at home.
Oct 1943 – Retired and moved to Keosauqua, Van Buren Co., IA.
Excerpts from June (Davis) Wiley’s story, “A Tale of Three Sisters”, Pg. 18. (Used by permission.) Paraphrased and Updated.
After Grandpa Joe’s son, Joe [Loren Joseph] died, Joe and Iva gave up farming and bought a house in town. Grandpa loved to garden and raised beautiful vegetables that he took pride in, giving the excess away. They raised white rabbits and butchered them to eat and to sell. It was very hard to eat one of those beautiful creatures.
Grandpa took pride in his driving, but we girls always said the only reason he didn’t have a wreck was because everyone in town knew him and stayed out of his way. He finally did turn in front of a car (apparently a stranger who didn’t know him) and he had to give up his car. Grandpa died one Sunday evening in 1966. He was eating a bowl of ice cream and watching a football game when he fell out of his chair and was dead of a heart attack at age 85. Grandma lived alone for many years making much of going to church and ‘good works’. Her favorite bit of conversation each Sunday was the hats worn to church by the other ladies. Grandma fell and broke her shoulder and not being able to care for herself, had to go to a nursing home. She was unfortunate in having many broken bones including 3 broken hips. In 1974, while in the nursing home she broke her hip a third time. She went into surgery and never woke up. She was 89 years old.
