Mary Ann Barkel

Mary Ann Naber Barkel considered herself blessed by being a woman who was loved by family and friends.

Mary Ann was born on July 25, 1926 on a small farm on the outskirts of Holland , Mi. She was the youngest of John and Agnes (Schaap) Naber's three daughters. She and her sisters, Alma and Dorothy, grew up on that farm and remained there until each married and moved into the city. All three have been lifelong residents of Holland . Mary Ann, her sisters and their respective families remained close and in frequent contact with each other throughout their lives.

In high school Mary Ann met the love of her life, Jack Barkel. This was during the time of World War II however, and Jack enlisted in the Navy directly after graduation. The two were not separated long though when, in 1944, Mary Ann married her high school sweetheart during one of Jack's brief furloughs.

During the course of time, Mary Ann and Jack settled in to raise their three children: Susan, Patricia and Thomas. While the children were young, Mary Ann remained at home and cared for her family. Later she worked at DuMez and, for a number of years, worked with her husband at Quality Credit.

Mary Ann was truly one of those individuals for whom each day is a good day. She was lively, happy and fun to be with. Her children were often the recipients of her good humor as were they also the objects of her harmless pranks. She was rarely too busy or tired to play endless board games, cards or to simply read a story. One cousin was heard to say that she knew she'd have fun if she could sit next to Aunt Mary Ann at the dinner table.

With the births of her two grandchildren, Lindsey and Kyle, Mary Ann's delight in her family grew to a deeper level. She discovered how much she loved being a grandmother. She read to them, played games, and she and Jack attended as many baseball games, soccer matches and gymnastic performances as possible. In Lindsey and Kyle, Mary Ann was able to indulge her love of shopping and enjoyed spoiling the children with clothes and toys.

Not only was Mary Ann a joyful person, she also had a great appreciation and tenderness for animals. Many of her earlier photos show her with an arm around a dog, cat or pony. Her children delight in telling adventurous stories of bringing home tadpoles, bunnies, kittens, a lone snake and even, improbably, a baby pheasant. With the exception of the snake, Mary Ann never refused care and lodging to the various menageries. In fact, she was likely to be the one playing with a kitten, much to the disgust of the beloved family dog, Skippy.

Throughout her life, Mary Ann was active in church and community. She was a member of the Holland Literary Guild and Wedgewood Acres. As a charter member of Calvary Reformed Church, she invested her time and talents to serving on a number of committees and singing in the choir. Much of her life revolved around church activities and friendships therein.

At home, Mary Ann was an enthusiastic gardener. She maintained a beautiful perennial garden, and it was often that a passerby would comment on her Hydrangea bush with its glorious pink and blue flowers. Her family also remembers her as frequently doing crossword and jigsaw puzzles. In addition, she and Jack had an active social life and were avid golfers for many years. In earlier years, they traveled to Europe on two occasions, and made multiple trips within the U.S.

Mary Ann lived her life fully and will be truly missed by those who love her.

Mary Ann Barkel, 79, of Holland died Sunday December 18, 2005 at a local care facility. She was preceded in death by her husband Jack in April 2005. Surviving are her children; Susan Kott and Ronald Magierka of Caro, MI, Patricia and Scott Embree of Destin, FL, and Thomas and LuAnn Barkel of Colleyville, TX; two grandchildren; Lindsey and Scott Wiggins, and Kyle Barkel, sisters; Alma Steketee of Holland, Dorothy and Edward Schuitema of Holland; in-laws; Paul and Joyce Barkel of Holland, Earl and Dolores Barkel of Holland, Joan and Del Huyser of Holland, and several nieces, nephews and cousins. Services are 11:00 a.m. Wednesday December 28th at the Calvary Reformed Church, with the Rev. Blaine Newhouse officiating. Burial will be in Pilgrim Home Cemetery. Visitation will be Tuesday December 27th from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. at the Downtown Chapel, Dykstra Life Story Funeral Home, 29 E. 9th Street. Please visit www.lifestorynet.com where you can read Mary's life story, share a memory, order flowers online, or make a memorial contribution to the Resthaven Care Center.