Harry Marshall Barkes

Harry Marshall Barkes, 86, of Tecumseh, KS passed away peacefully and surrounded by family on September 8, 2016 at Midland Care Hospice.

Harry was born on February 20, 1930 in Salina, KS to James Marshall Barkes and Myrtle Barkes. Myrtle died shortly after his birth and he was raised by his father and stepmother, Sadie Shoffner (Barkes). He was born small enough to be taken home in a shoe box but thrived in the care of James and Sadie and grew into a strong, rambunctious youth. In his school days he was caught dancing on the teacher's desk and was also responsible for the Linburger Cheese Incident. "Someone" (Harry) put the cheese on the radiator at school and caused a complete evacuation on account of the smell.

Despite this ornery streak that never went away, Harry graduated from Highland Park High in 1948. This same year he joined the Navy as a reservist. In 1952 Harry married "the prettiest girl in the church choir", Ada Fae Smith. 1952 was also the year he was made active in the Navy, serving as an electrician's mate and fireman on the USS Kearsarge and the USS Jupiter. After his honorable discharge from the Navy in 1955, Harry worked for Long Bell Lumber for 5 years, where he built on his early carpentry education from his father, which he eventually used to build a home for his family from the ground up. Their first child, Dave, was born in 1954 and Cindy completed them in 1957.

In 1960 he started his career with the United States Postal Service and worked as a clerk and mail sorter until his retirement in 1991. Harry kept to his pranking ways but his coworkers at the post office didn't take it lying down. Every day he worked Harry took his own lunch that Ada prepared for him. She was sure to include a dessert, often times his favorite, homemade icecream in a special container. Harry would open his lunch, excited to indulge, and find his dessert eaten and the container clean and closed. They also filled his locker with balloons, which Harry would (gleefully, we imagine) pop with the knife he always carried. So they got wise and filled the ones on the bottom with water.

One of Harry's great loves was the outdoors. His children, grandchildren and even great grandchildren will remember him for his love of nature and adventuring. He owned a handmade bow that he mastered, was named Archery Ironman of Kansas in 1992 and runner up the following year.

Harry was also into going off road in his jeeps, long before off roading was cool. Ada and their children have many memories of jeeping in Colorado, or back home in Kansas along steep creek beds and through dense and rocky woods. To keep up this hobby he loved Harry had to take care of his jeeps, which he also learned to do masterfully. He was a member of the Military Vehicle Restoration Society, as well as a historic car club where he was known as a grand and knowledgeable tinkerer who could fix or even fully restore anything. Basically, he was a man who could build a house and a car with just the materials, his tools, and his remarkable eagerness and intellect.

Of all the things that speak to Harry's character, his many life long friendships perhaps speak the loudest. Following his retirement from the Postal Service, Harry got together every month with his co workers. He and Ada also had a Saturday night ritual of camping, or eating or playing games with Clarence and Lovie Smith, or Erlene and Roland Rierchert, or Bill and Beverly Nicholson. Every Saturday was dedicated to maintaining and building their friendships for over 50 years.

Harry is preceeded in death by his siblings Shirley, Lois, Hartley, Marilyn, Dick and his grand daughter Jamie Michelle. He is survived by his wife of 64 years, Ada Barkes. Their children, David Marshall Barkes and his wife Kathy of Tecumseh and Cynthia Ann Barkes (Newton) and her husband Dennis of Olathe. Grandchildren: Kasie Garlington, her husband Derick Garlington, their children Anthony, Derick Jr., Lance, Cole and Sheldon. Jake Taylor, his wife Allison Taylor and their children Alex and Emma. Scott Marshall Barkes, his wife Heather Barkes and their children Jaxton and Kinsley. Aaron Pursley and Sara Meyer and their children, Kayden, Kellen and Sophia. Dirk Newton and his wife Leah Newton and their children Ariana, Lochlan and Maeve. Also many nieces, nephews and friends. Services for Harry will be held Tuesday, September 13 at 11:00 a.m. at the First Assembly of God church at 27th and Topeka Blvd. in Topeka.