One of the earliest memories of my Aunt Lois took place in the mid 1940s during World War II.  My Uncle Russell Bickford was in the cockpit of B-29 Superfortress running bombing missions and my Uncle Delbert Leet was fighting Nazis across Africa and into Europe.  Meanwhile, back in the USA, my Aunt Lois Barker Bickford and her sister, my Aunt Evelyn Barker Leet, were staying with their parents (my Grandparents) William "Bill" and Mary Mason Barker on their farm near Corning, Iowa.  When the Ken and Doris Crowell Barker siblings visited Grandpa Bill and Grandma Mary; our Aunt Lois and Aunt Evelyn would often gather us around the piano to sing songs.  Aunt Evelyn played the piano while Aunt Lois got Elene, Justine, Kevin, and Lonnie (me) to sing like birds.  I especially remember singing a song over and over with the words: " Only Uncle Sam's great hero's get to go there". I now know the name of the song was "There's a Star-Spangled Banner Waving Somewhere":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqr0b1LacHg

I will never forget the song or the emotion of singing "Only Uncle Sam's great hero's get to go there" with my Aunt Lois and my Aunt Evelyn while their husbands were on the other side of the world fighting for our country.  Although I was just a little fellow singing a song; I understood the difficulty and gravity of the situation for my aunts. I feel bad I can no longer go to my brother Keve to see if he also retained this memory; unfortunately, I did not recall singing the song "There's a Star-Spangled Banner Waving Somewhere"  with Aunt Lois until after she died.

"My condolences to the family of cousin Lois.  Eunicy Victor Barker (paternal grandmother of Lois) was a sister of my Great Grandma Emma Victor Lathrop.  Although we were separated by years and miles, Lois will always be on my list of cousins.  I crossed paths with Lois through my family history research.  She was a wonderful person who overcame tragedy and found happiness in her life till the end."

Grandaunt Lois Barker Bickford was a proud alum of a country school named Dog Hollow located in Adams County, Iowa.  Dog Hollow had one room, one teacher, one pot bellied stove, and Lois walked one mile each way for 8 years to attend class.  Dog Hollow might seem like a strange name for a school --- even a country school. But, you have to remember; Lois was the 4th generation of her family to live in the area of the school named Dog Hollow.  You see, the school was named Dog Hollow because of all the Barkers who lived in the valley.  We are going to miss you Grandaunt Lois.  You will be cherished in our memories forever.

I have many fond memories of my Auntie Lois dating way back to our family visits  at my  Grandpa Bill and Grandma Mary's home.  Lois and my Barker grandparents lived on a farm in Adams County, Iowa; about a mile off the pavement on a dirt road which was mud or worse at Thanksgiving and Christmas.  We drove  as close to the Barker homeplace as possible by automobile.  After parking alongside the paved road, we waited.  Soon Grandpa Bill or an uncle would  pick us up with horses and a buckboard wagon.  What a fun bumpy and rough ride to Grandpa and Grandma's house!  Aunt Lois was just 7 years older than I. We  cracked a  lot of nuts in the garage on the farm and played like sisters.
A gift Uncle Ken and Aunt Lois gave their nieces during the summer of 1989 was a weekend in Denver.  That weekend and the hospitality of Aunt Lois means even more to me as I age.  Aunt Lois had six Barker nieces and four of us were able to make the trip to Denver.  I rode with Aunt Betty Bowen Barker and Cousin Jane as we traveled by car from Iowa.  Cousin Frances Leet came from South Carolina. Cousin Linda made the trip from Arizona. Unfortunately, Cousin Sylvia from Washington State and my sister Justine, from Arizona were not able to join us. 
We played games, went shopping at the mall, caught up on visiting, and enjoyed fun meals together (thinking Dan grilled once).  Of course, on Sunday we went to church. Rummikub became the most popular game of the weekend----a game I had to have when I returned home.  Aunt Lois was a wonderful big sister to me and my siblings.  She endured much in her life, yet she was unsinkable.  Now we too, face circumstances we must endure.  Rest in peace my dear Aunt Lois.

Elene and I were afew years younger than our Aunts, Lois and Helen. We spent time with them on the farm near Corning, Iowa. Lois and Elene paired up and I and Helen were buddies, so it was hard for me to lose Helen when I was in 6th grade.  How great to have had aunt Lois for so long!

Prayers & condolences to all who knew of or are related to  Great Aunt Lois. She was awesome and will be missed so much! Rest In Peace.

Family Visitation

Graveside Service

William and Mary (Mason) Barker

Russell Bickford

OBITUARY

Lois Jean Bickford

8 May, 1924 – 13 November, 2020

Olinger Funeral, Cremation & Cemetery - Chapel Hill

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