Karen S. Barker

Karen S. Barker was born on July 16, 1942 in St. Joseph, Missouri to Nita Lau (McKee) and Jacob Albert Moore.

She spent her childhood and youth on the family farm near Lathrop, where she attended the Methodist Church. She graduated from Lathrop High School and attended St. Joseph Junior College.

Karen’s love was her flower garden, where she spent hundreds of hours nurturing many varieties of flowers. She was a Master Flower Show Judge and served as District Director of Northwest Missouri Federated Garden Club. She was Past President of the Tarkio, Rock Port, and Fortescue Garden Clubs.

Karen attended Mound City First Christian Church. She was also a long-time member of TOPS and hosted their Christmas party for over 25 years.

Karen lived at Big Lake Village where she taught water aerobics to many adults who were seeking exercise or relief from complications due to arthritis. She was certified through the American Exercise Council.

In later years she and her husband, Harry Bagby, moved to Mound City, Missouri. They spent the winter in Tucson, Arizona. Harry preceded her in death in 2004. While in Tucson, she taught exercise for Naturally Women Fitness Center.

In 2011 Karen married Elmer L. Barker, Sr. They, too, wintered in Tucson. He survives of the home.

In addition to her parents and husband, Harry, she was preceded in death by her maternal grandparents, who raised her, Ernest and Nell McKee; and stepmother, Mildree Grady Moore.

Survivors include her husband, Elmer, of their Mound home; aunt, Erma Lee Hunt of Plattsburg, Missouri; uncle, Eddie Hisel of Lathrop; and cousin, Celesta Moore of Liberty, Missouri.

Services were held on Friday, Sept. 20, 2013 at 11 am at the Chamberlain Funeral Home in Mound City. Family greeted friends one hour prior to services. Interment was held at Mount Hope Cemetery. Memorials may be directed to the Mound City First Christian Church, Mount Hope Cemetery, the Mound City Nutrition Site, or Mound City High School Scholarship Fund to be used by a student going into horticulture.