John R.L. Barker

John R.L. Barker was the third son of Joseph and Rosetta Barker, born in 1910 in Fairview, Lincoln, Wyoming. Sadly, when he was only 18 his mother passed away from a heart problem in January of 1929, and unfortunately, his father was so despondent over her death that he took his own life the very next month by drinking four ounces of Lysol.

Less than one year earlier, on February 24, 1928, John married Florence H. Campbell, when he was just 17 years old and she was just 16. In 1930 they were living in Ogden,Utah, and they had a one and a half year old daughter, Betty Lou (Elizabeth). They were living in the rear house at 200 17th Street, which they rented for $18.00 per month. John was working as a laborer in the stock yards. The people living in the front house at this address were Mary E. Dana, 63, a widow, and her son Leslie L., 20. They owned their home which is valued at $2,000. Leslie was working as a laborer at a gas service station. Leslie and his mother, Mary, must have been John and Florence's landlords.

By the 1940 census, John and Florence are still living in Ogden, but now they own their home on 3rd East Street, which is valued at $500. John is 30, Florence is 27, Betty Lou is 11, Richard Lee is 9, LaVell is 7, Gerald is 5, Patricia is 4, and Robert D., is 1 year old. Their family was living in the same house in 1935.

John was now working as a cement finisher on a WPA bridge construction project. For the 44 weeks he worked in 1939, his income was $620. John and Florence had completed two years of high school. All of their children were in school at the time of the census, except the three youngest ones under the age of five.

Florence passed away in February of 1977 in Ogden, Utah, and John in August of 1984 and was living in Morgan, Utah, at the time of his death. They are both buried in the Ben Lomond Cemetery in North Ogden, Weber, Utah.