Bennie Barker

BARKER, BENNIE E. "BEN" WATERTOWN Bennie E. "Ben" Barker, age 79, passed away on Sunday August 4, 2013 at Aurora Summit Medical Center, with his family by his side. A memorial service will be held on Thursday at 6:30 PM at Schmutzler-Vick Funeral Home and Cremation Service with Pastor John Boehringer officiating. Family and friends may call on Thursday from 4 PM to 6:30 PM at the funeral home. It was Ben's wish to donate his body to the UW-Madison Medical School. Memorials to St. John's Lutheran Church would be appreciated. Online condolences may be left at svfuneralhome.com. Ben was born on January 22, 1934 in Gary, Indiana, the son of Bennie M. and Joyce F. (Gose) Barker. His family farmed near Lowell, Indiana. He married Betty White on April 16, 1966 and he has been a resident of Watertown since that time. Ben graduated from Lowell High School in Indiana in the class of 1951, following high School he graduated from Valpariso and Purdue Universities. He served in the US Army during the Korean Conflict from 1954 to 1956. Following college he was employed in various electrical engineering positions at GE in New York, RCA in Alaska, Lockheed Missile and Space Co. in California and he retired from Eaton Cutler-Hammer in watertown in 1996 after 32 years of employment. Ben was a member of St. John's Lutheran Church in Watertown.. He loved the outdoors and sports, he spent most of his spare time gardening, fishing, hunting and trapping. Ben was a well known trapper and was a member of the National and Wisconsin Trapping Associations. He was very close to his family and especially loved to go fishing and play ball and other sports with his many grandchildren. Ben is survived by his wife Betty, their children Brenda (Nick Becker) Barker, Bridget (David) Van Ert, Michael Barker, Mark (Margaret) Barker, Lorri (Tim) Arnold and Linda (Rick) Mueller, 21 grandchildren, 3 great grandchildren, a sister LaVonne Downing, his dog Sophie, nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents a brother Ralph Barker and a grandson Derek Mueller.

Visitation

Thursday, August 8, 2013 4:00 PM - 6:30 PM
Schmutzler-Vick Funeral Home & Cremation Service
500 Welsh Road Watertown 53098, United States

Service

Thursday, August 8, 2013 6:30 PM
Schmutzler-Vick Funeral Home & Cremation Service
500 Welsh Road Watertown 53098, United States