Zoe Barker

Zora "Zoe" Barker

Newark"Zoe Barker, 100, died on Saturday (July 16, 2005) at the St. John's Home in Rochester where she has resided for the past several years.

Memorial services will be at 2 PM, on Monday (Aug. 15th) at the Park Presbyterian Church, Maple Court, Newark. Private burial will be in East Newark Cemetery.

Memorials in her name may be made to Newark Public Library Children Fund or Park Presbyterian Church.

She was born on May 15, 1905 in San Francisco, California the daughter of James B. and Edith Greene Emery. After the death of her mother the family moved to Rochester, where Zoe attended Rochester schools and graduated from the University of Rochester in 1927. Moving to Newark in 1929, she taught social studies in the Newark schools until 1931, when she met and married Howard Barker. While raising her family on East Maple Street, she helped her husband in the family hardware business. Zoe served as Clerk of the Board of Education under President Cora Elliott and remained on the Board for 15 years. In 1955, she was part of the effort to centralize the Newark schools into a district and lay the plans for a new Senior High School. Mrs. Barker was a member of the Park Presbyterian Church. . As time allowed, she became active in many local projects, including Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and the Community Center Board, the Travelers Club, Newark Garden Club, the Newark Wayne Community Hospital Auxiliary and the Newark Library. With her great love for the Newark Library, she and several friends established the Friends of the Library. In 1959, Mrs. Barker became the first women to be recognized for her community contributions receiving the of Newark's Citizen of the Year Award. Also that year, she received the Fannie R. Bigelow Lifetime Achievement Award at the University of Rochester. While living at the St. John's Home she remained active and served on the Board of Residents Council.

She is survived by two sons Jim of Calabash, NC and John (Dorothy) of Glen Arbor, Mich., two grandchildren John Jr. and Julie Casesa, four great grandchildren, several nieces and nephews and many dear friends.

She was predeceased by husband Howard in 1968, and a sister Beulah Wagner.

The family is being served by the Paul L. Murphy & Sons Funeral Home.