JoAnn M. Barker

Lincoln — JoAnn Marie Barker, 73, of Lincoln, formerly of O'Neill, died Sunday, June 9, 2024.

Visitation was held Wednesday, June 12, 2024 at Biglin's Mortuary in O'Neill with a prayer service.

Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, June 13, 2024 at the O'Neill Methodist Church in O'Neill. Rev. Robert Wynn will officiate.

Burial will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, June 15, 2024 in the Benton Cemetery in Benton, Iowa.

Memorials may be made to the family for future designation.

JoAnn was born in O'Neill to Ernie and Helen (Burival) Kloppenborg on Aug. 22, 1950. As the oldest of the nine Kloppenborg children, she helped care for them all. JoAnn was a shy child around people she did not know well. She attended country school at District 37. While in 4-H, she learned to sew and became an accomplished seamstress, she was expected to help with many farm chores as she grew up. Those included milking the cows, caring for the animals, gardening and working in the hayfield. She attended O'Neill Public Jr.-Sr. High School. She was a decent student and enjoyed many business courses. But her desire was to become a kindergarten teacher. JoAnn graduated in 1968. Her father convinced her that a degree in accounting would be a better fit for her so she attended the Grand Island School of Business. She then worked as an administrative assistant for most of the rest of her life. 

In October of 1969, while working in Grand Island she was introduced to a young man named Fredrick Barker, from Mount Ayr, Iowa. It was love at first sight. They married on April 18, 1970 in O'Neill and then the couple moved to Omaha where Fred worked at Hobart Sales & Service. Soon a daughter was born Patricia Lea and six years later Christina Lynne.  JoAnn was a stay-at-home mom and did child care in their home for a few years. She and Fred enjoyed their children and soon they became involved with a 4-H club and raised the girls on 4-H learnings for the next 25 years. It helped with JoAnn's desire to teach. 

She and Fred learned to square dance. Their girls got interested and soon it was a family activity. Fred and JoAnn were active officers in the square dance club for as long as they were in the club. 

Fred retired in 2011 and shortly after that, he and JoAnn moved to the Barker family farm at Mount Ayr where Fred proceeded to build his and JoAnn's "dream home" on the site of the old farm house. In 2013, Fred passed away and JoAnn moved to York to be closer to her family. She helped her granddaughter open a dress shop in York and assisted with alterations. She again became involved in 4-H, while teaching her granddaughter and another child to sew. JoAnn loved to see the joy on the girls faces when a garment was finished and they did well with county fair entries. They all became interested in making Quilts of Valor for living Veterans. She always said presenting a QOV made her feel very humble. 

On April 4, 2016 her grandson Avery was born. He was a loving child and she enjoyed having him spend a day with her. She said he always made her laugh. Her great-grandson Maverick Verhage was born on July 9, 2023. She enjoyed watching him develop and cuddling with him. 

On Jan. 1, 2021 JoAnn had a stroke that left her left side very weak. A second stroke in October affected her sight. Her love of quilting pushed her to do physical therapy so she could get back to the hobby she enjoyed so much. 

JoAnn is survived by her two daughters Tricia (Todd) Simonsen of York and Christina (Charles Boyd) Barker of Lincoln; one granddaughter Ashley (Kurstan) Verhage of York; one grandson Avery Elan F Boyd; one great-grandson Maverick Verhage; her mother Helen Kloppenborg of O'Neill; three brothers Jim (Sue)  Kloppenborg of Emmet, Jerry Kloppenborg of O'Neill and Jeff ( Michelle Riha) Kloppenborg of Elizabeth, CO; five sisters Janice (John) Peregoy of Coleridge, Joyce (Todd) Miller of Emmet, Jill (Kent) Fox of Stuart, Julie Joyce of Wausa and Jean Ruge of Plainview; and many nieces and nephews. 

She was preceded in death by husband Fred Barker, her father Ernie Kloppenborg, two brothers-in-law Joe Wedige and Tim Ruge, her mother-in-law, father-in-law and sister-in-law, two nephews Mike West and Ronnie Bomer and two sets of grandparents. 

Her greatest joy was being with her Family.  When God finally took her from this world she was prepared to go.