Barbara L Clark

Born Barbara Lee Peoples on June 3, 1921 in Grand Junction Colorado, she was always Barbara, mom or Grandma to those who loved her. And except to her brother Graydon, she did not go by Barb or Babs or other nicknames. She knew who she was and what she wanted to be called and stuck to it. She was head strong and could be profoundly stubborn, but if anyone crossed those she cared for she could be as ferocious as a mountain lion. In High School she joined the Debate Club with Graydon and developed debating skills that, at times, would be a thorn in the side of all who argued with her.

At 25, she briefly married Louis Clark and had one son, Gary. After her father passed away, she bought a car and as a single mom, drove herself and Gary from Chicago half way across the country with a long stop in Portland Oregon before settling in southern California. She had an independence and pioneer spirit that in the early 1950’s was rarely found in young single ladies. She entered the working world and had a long career as a stenographer and secretary. Even at work she was a firecracker with a ready and beautiful smile. She loved to dance, she loved the movies and she loved to be on the go. Upon retiring from The Chevron Oil Company her co-workers wrote, “Barbara, you have been a real kick in the pants to work with. You have a way of always making people laugh”. Barbara retired to Reno Nevada but continued to work for another fifteen years and ended her careers as an office volunteer for the Reno Police Department.

Barbara said often that her father was her idol and that it was mutual. Earl Peoples referred to his daughter as his “best girl”. Earl had volunteered for service in both World Wars was a decorated war hero. Its fitting that Barbara would go home to him and her mother Sara on Veterans Day 11/11/11.

In her mid eighties Barbara began to lose her fierce independence to the onset of Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s is very tough to endure, but Barbara became more tolerant of her loved ones and her sometimes rocky family relationships became much more relaxed and forgiving. She passed peacefully at the age of ninety. As she often said, “see ya later alligator, after while crocodile”.

Survivors include her son Earl Gary Clark, daughter-in-law Ann, grand daughter Piper, grandson Sean and his wife Holly, and great grandchildren Tanner and India Clark, as well as grandson-in-law Keyon Shelton and his family Anna, Jelani and Jasmine. Through her brother Graydon and his wife Lorraine she is also survived by a vast network of extended family.

Funeral Services and burial will be held Friday November 18, 2011 at 10:00 AM.