Margaret Marie McFatridge Barker

November 5, 1921 ~ December 4, 2009

© Holmes-Coffey-Murray Funeral Home

Submitted by: T.D.

Services for Mrs. Margaret Barker will be Tuesday December 8, 2009 2:00 P.M. at the First Baptist Church in Durant, Oklahoma. The Rev Mike Mings and Bill McFatridge will officiate. Internment will follow in the Highland Cemetery in Durant. Serving as pallbearers will be Blake Barker, Matt Barker, Tommy Barker, Nick Farnsworth, David Barker and John Barker. Family hour will be 7:00 - 8:00 p.m. Monday December 7, 2009 at the funeral home.

Margaret Marie Barker passed away December 4, 2009 at the Renaissance Retirement Home in Sherman, TX after a brief battle with cancer. She was 88 years old. She was born November 5, 1921 to Homer and Theo McFatridge in Durant, Oklahoma who preceded her in death. A sister, Joyce who died in infancy. On October 14, 1942 she married Gene A. Barker, Sr. and they were married 54 years before his death in 1996. After Gene's service in WWII they returned to Durant where both retired from Durant Public Schools. Margaret graduated from SOSU in 1960 and enjoyed a career as an elementary teacher at Washington Irving Elementary School until her retirement.

Margaret is survived by three sons, Dr. Allan Barker and wife, Dorinda of Tulsa, Oklahoma, Jim and wife, Kathy of Ft. Towson, Oklahoma and Tom and wife, Patty of Sherman, Texas. She is also survived by sisters Billie Ruth Cullivier of Los Angeles, California and Glynna Nelson of Durant, Oklahoma, and brother, Johnny McFatridge and wife, Nancy of Duncan, Oklahoma. She is also survived by 10 grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren.

In addition to being a career classroom teacher and homemaker, she also served as librarian at the First Baptist Church of Durant. A well-organized library was one of her greatest passions. She enjoyed arts and crafts and reading and studying biblical literature. She made two trips to the Holy Land. She was a lifelong member of the First Baptist of Durant until she moved to Choctaw County in 2006.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given to the library at Valliant First Baptist, Valliant, Oklahoma, or Durant First Baptist Church. Coffey~Murray Funeral Home will be conducting the arrangements.