Merry J. Barka

For those of you who knew our Mom, you know she marched to the beat of her own drum—or maybe it was a tambourine. The tambourine was just one part of Mom’s unique sense of flare, distinctive sense of humor that she shared frequently with those around her. And while many of us may say that she often defied the odds, Mom would tell you otherwise. It wasn’t beating odds, it was the grace of God. It was her strong faith. It was her deep belief in the Lord. All shown through her unwavering love of her church—the Good Shepard United Methodist Church in Oconomowoc—where she volunteered countless hours and attended innumerable services and study groups. On November 29 at Angels Grace Hospice, our Mom took her last breaths following a prayer by her Pastor with one of her four children by her side. She was 81. Thank you to everyone who took time to visit Mom and send heartfelt wishes and prayers. Thank you to her church family for the love, care and support shown to her through 49 years, 11 months and 22 days as a member there. A special thanks to the staff at Angels Grace in Oconomowoc for the loving care shown to Mom and to all of us. We know Mom’s pain is finally gone and she will be at peace in the arms of the Lord—right where she belongs. Merry J. Barka of Dousman, WI is survived by her kids: Susan (Dino) Fairchild, Meryl (Troy) Newman, Jo-ell Carson, and Erick (Melanie) Barka; her grandchildren Payton, Ashley, Julia, Jonah, Addison and Blake; her sibling John (Kathy) Cavey, Jr. along with many more family and friends. Merry is preceded in death by her father Joseph (Marilyn) Patsch, her mother Ruth (John) Cavey and her siblings Delores and Sherry. Services for Merry will be held at Good Shepherd United Methodist Church (800 Lake Dr, Oconomowoc) on Tuesday, December 11. Visitation begins at 1pm, the service at 3pm. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Angels Grace Hospice or Good Shepherd United Methodist Church, both in Oconomowoc.