Sarah Ione Barber, 96, of Rapid City, went to her Lord and Savior on Sun, Jun 30, 2007. She was born to Alice (Peterson) and Ernest Fudge on Apr 15, 1911, in Kalkaska County. She graduated from high school in 1927, and then proceeded on to County Normal School and received her teaching degree shortly after.
She married Robert Russell Barber on Oct 17, 1933. They had four children: Phyllis (Sylvester) Day, Patricia (Pastor Huse) Johnson, Gene (Arden) Mercer, and Lawrence (Phyllis Mariage) Barber. Sarah earned her bachelor's degree much later in her career from Western Michigan University all while being a wife, mother, and grandmother. She taught school for 33 years, retiring shortly after her husband died.
Sarah has 22 grandchildren, 36 great grandchildren, and 23 great great grandchildren.
She was a long standing member of the Church of Christ in Rapid City. She was preceded in death by her two brothers, Forest and Thomas, her sister, Rhea Clark, her parents, two grandsons, Ronald Russell and Richard Randall, and her husband.
In addition to her children and grandchildren, she leaves behind two sisters in laws, Helen Deater and Ruth Taisey and many nieces and nephews.
Visitation was on Mon, Jul 2 and Tue, Jul 3 at Wolfe-O'Neill Funeral Home. Interment followed at Clearwater Township Cemetery.
