Ruby Marie Barker

Ruby Marie Barker, San Jacinto, CA passed away on February 6, 2024, at the age of 96 years young. She was born in Dallas County, Urbana, MO, daughter of Roma Edward Kirk and Lucy Irene Anderson Kirk on January 27, 1928.  

Ruby started her career selling guns at the military exchange in the 1940s. She then went on to work at the post office, in Santa Ana, CA, where she retired after 20 years. She lived in California until her retirement and then moved to Las Vegas, NV. In 1992, after the passing of her husband, Ruby moved to Bay Saint Louis, MS, in time for Christmas (She thought she would NEVER move back to MS), where she lived with her daughter-in-law Katherine, while Ruby’s son Don, was corporate America with Sears and lived on the road. In 1994, Ruby moved to Kansas to be near her sister Millie and brother, (Vernon) Dean. Ruby wasn’t a fan of those Kansas winters so she would spend them in California with her long-time friend, Bobby Pratt. In 2010, Ruby and Millie moved to Long Beach, MS, to be near Ruby’s son Donald, his wife Katherine and grandchildren. She enjoyed the South, but her roots were in California, so in 2019 she moved back to California to be near her son Rob, where she spent her final days enjoying life.  

Ruby was preceded in death by her parents; step-father Robert (Pops) Mead; her husband, best friend and love of her life John Albert Barker, known to all as “Jacko,”; her two sons, Donald Lee Parker and Richard Albert Barker (Mary Carol); daughter-in-law, Carol Barker; siblings, John Jay Kirk, Vernon Dean Kirk (Sue), Emma Lee Mehalechko (Charlie), and Millie Fay Kirk King; niece, Katy King; nephews, Wayne, Lloyd and Phillip King and James Dean Kirk; grandparents, Thomas and Missouri Karr Kirk, Henry Nelson Anderson and Millie Jane McChristy Anderson;  great grandparents, James Harvey and Nellie Kirk and James and Mary Casey Karr. 

Ruby is survived by daughter-in-law, Katherine Marie Clark Parker; son, Robert William Barker (Donna); granddaughters, Dawn Parker Lockart (Edward), Shawn Collier (Eli), Tamara Parker Eastep, Heidi Gutierrez (Efrain); great grandchildren, Noah and Anthony Gutierrez, Joshua Dugger, Brandon Eastep, Bobby Clark Pruitt, Madison Deberry, Breyer Lockhart, Savannah Collier; nieces and nephews, Peter Mehalechko (Sharon), David Mehalechko, Jerri Kirk (Tony), Richard Kirk (Kim) and Danny Kirk; seven great great grandchildren with 2 more on the way.

Riemann Family Funeral Home, Gulfport, is serving the family.