Willa Jean Barker

Willa Jean Barker was born on February 14, 1929 and passed away on March 6, 2014. She was preceded in death by her husband Claude Barker Jr., her mother Lora B. Waddles, her father Lawton Waddles, and her sister Juanita Sparks. She is survived by her sister Agnes June Shafor, her son Larry D. Barker, her daughter in law Kathy Barker, her daughter Michelle L. Theisen, her son in law Michael L. Theisen, her grandson Matthew G. Theisen, her granddaughter in law Brittany Theisen, her great grand daughter Gracie Theisen, her great grand daughter Shelby Theisen, her granddaughter Jennifer Briner and her grandson in law Tyler Briner.

Willa Jean Barker was born February 14, 1929 in Langley Kentucky to Lawton and Lora B Waddles. Willa came into the world with a heart defect. Too much activity put great stress on her heart. Her mother kept her in bed for a full year to let her heart heal. When she was 6 she had a small woven chair made by her grandfather, Garrett Hayes, that her mother would carry so that Willa could sit and rest when she was tired. As she aged her heart became stronger and she became an avid swimmer. Her sister, Juanita, would lead her on some risky adventures and was willing to suffer the consequences since poor little Willa wasn’t going to get punished.

Willa’s grandmother and mother were tough women. Granny delivered mail by pony express and she was a midwife offering the only medical help for miles around. Lora B. was a renaissance woman that loved the earth, flowers, garden and family. Her philosophy of life was that there is no job too small to give your best effort. In 1946, the Waddles relocated to Ohio. Willa caught the eyes of many boys, but the boy next door was persistent. Claude Barker had returned from World War II to find that the most beautiful girl in world had moved in next door. They were engaged while she was in high school and married in July of 1948 after she graduated from Monroe High School. Claude and Willa were, by their standards, poor. They always looked forward to Sundays when Willa’s sister, Juanita, would bring a chicken for dinner. The story Claude would tell, is that they were so poor they eventually just let the chicken walk through the water to flavor the dumplings. They had their first child, Larry Douglas Barker, on August 3rd, 1949. They couldn’t have been happier. They had their second child, Michelle Layne Barker, on March 7th, 1956. Pregnancies were hard on Willa, but she knew when to rest.

Some of Willa’s most treasured memories were Barker family reunions at ARMCO Park and competitive euchre tournaments at Willa’s sister June and brother in law, Ken Shafor’s farm in Lebanon, Ohio…which Willa often won.

In 1966, Claude accepted a manager position at ARMCO Steel’s Houston Works, and the family moved to Houston, Texas. They soon became active members of the Fairbanks RLDS church, and became lifelong friends with the Webb family. Camping with the Webb’s became a favorite pastime. Other dear church friends, the Goodwin’s and Davies, enriched Willa’s life with God’s love in person, and they shared many good times throughout their years in Houston.

Every summer, June and Ken’s Longmeadow Farm was the favorite destination to renew family ties and gain 10 pounds. In 1972 Willa’s son Larry was engaged to Kathy Powell. Kathy joined the Barker reunion in the Ozarks without Larry…that was a bonding trip. Willa and Claude were thrilled to have another daughter! In 1980 Willa’s daughter Michelle brought home her sweetheart, Michael Theisen. Claude and Willa welcomed him with open arms… tattoos and all.

Willa carried on her mother’s philosophy of life. There were always flowers in bloom in her yard, a record breaking squash in her garden, and the most delicious home cooked food on the planet. Willa was a favorite pick to hostess a shower, potluck at church, or a bridge party. She was an accomplished golfer, winning many trophies at Lakeside country club in Houston, Texas. Her grandchildren, Matthew Garrett Theisen and Jennifer Paige Theisen, were so excited every summer to spend a couple weeks with grandma and grandpa while Michelle and Mike took their annual motorcycle trip to Sturgis. They would go to Lakeside country club everyday for pool time, fishing, golf, and delicious food. In1976, Claude and Willa followed another job opportunity with ARMCO to Covington, Louisiana. Another job opportunity with ARMCO came along that took them back to Houston, where they lived until 2004. They made their final move as a married couple to a home they built on their son, Larry and daughter in law, Kathy’s, beautiful horse ranch in Whitesboro, Texas. They not only were able to spend seven years with Larry and Kathy just down the road, but they also became grandma and grandpa to the Nunez family of 6, who worked the ranch. The ranch was also the special place where Tyler Briner proposed to Willa’s granddaughter, Jennifer.

In April 2011, Claude passed away and Willa was at the beginning stages of Alzheimer’s disease. She moved to San Antonio to live with daughter, Michelle, and son in law, Mike, for a few months. Willa and Mike had a special bond. She loved his crazy sense of humor and enjoyed many nights on the front porch watching for deer. Their love for each other was deep and heartfelt.

In August 2011, she became a resident of the memory care community at Franklin Park Stone Oak, just a few miles down the road from Michelle and Mike. In 2013, Willa’s grandson, Matthew, was married to Brittany Kemp. At that time, Willa gained two great granddaughters, Gracie and Shelby.

Willa passed away peacefully in her sleep on March 6th, 2014, and can now rest in peace with Claude in eternity.

Special recognition and thanks to the caregivers at Franklin Park who loved and cared for Willa like family.

Many thanks to the ladies at Community of Christ that visited Willa at Franklin Park the last few years of her life; she was blessed by your love.