Loree Barker

Jan. 13, 1932 - April 26, 2011

Loree Barker, 79, of Troutman, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, April 26, 2011 at Gordon Hospice House in Statesville. He was born in Iredell County on January 13, 1932 to the late Carter E. and Ila Mayberry Barker. He graduated from Harmony High School and attended Mitchell Community College. He was owner of Barker Insurance Agency and a rural mail carrier for the U.S. Postal Service for 30 years. He served our country in the U.S. Air Force from April, 1951 until April, 1955 during the Korean War. Loree loved music and sang with a family group for many years. His musical accomplishments included bluegrass bands, traveling with Charlie Monroe, and barber shop and gospel quartets. Loree was a talented vocalist and guitarist. He was a member of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Troutman where he served as a choir member, Council member, Council president, Sunday school teacher and Junior Choir director. He was also a member of the Exchange SCAN Club and chairman of the Fiddlers Convention raising funds for the Iredell SCAN program. He played minor league baseball, coached Little League and played fast pitch softball. Loree was also an avid golfer and fisherman. He was a loving husband, father, and grandfather. He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Ruth Rimmer Barker, of Troutman; two sons, Stephen Barker (Lorrie) and Jeff Barker (Sarah), both of Statesville; two daughters, Pam B. Godfrey (John) of Troutman and Kimberly Barker of Charlotte; eleven grandchildren, Adam, Matt and Daniel Godfrey, Jennifer Marion, Lauren, Thomas and John Ryan Sander, Adriana, Ben, Rebekah and William Barker. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by six sisters, Connie Shoemaker, Beulah Harris, Lucille Morrison, Pauline Johnson, Reba Hendren and Ethel Fox; and six brothers, Jack, Cecil, Zeb, Dwight, George, and E.C. Barker. A visitation will be held from 6 until 8:00 p.m. on Thursday, April 28, 2011 at Troutman Funeral Home in Troutman. Funeral services celebrating the life of Loree Barker will be held on Friday, April 29, 2011 at 2:00 p.m. at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Troutman with the Rev. Matthew Miller, the Rev. William Wease and Vicar Diane Bowker officiating. Interment will follow the service at St. Michael’s Cemetery in Troutman with full military rites presented by the Iredell County Veterans Council Burial Detail. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Holy Trinity Lutheran Church Choir Fund, P. O. Box 308, Troutman, NC 28166 and/or Exchange SCAN Club, 229 Davie Avenue, Statesville, NC 28677. The family would like to express their thanks and gratitude to the loving care given to Loree by the staff of Autumn Care, Gordon Hospice House, Dr. Rajkumar Joshi and Dr. Andy White.