Jenene Barker

On August 21, Jenene died peacefully amid her family at the age of 88.

Jenene was born to Lyman Nephi and Lela Blumenthal Johnson in Salt Lake City, Utah. Growing up with four brothers, she was a tomboy and especially loved playing ball with her little brother Jimmy. She met her sweetheart, Conway Barker, early and in her senior year of high school they married in the Salt Lake City Temple on January 7, 1953. He left immediately after to serve a two and a half year mission in Japan and Jenene kept herself busy by finishing school and working as a cashier at the same grocery store as her mother. Upon his return, they added four children to the family in quick succession, their three sons and one daughter. They celebrated sixty-six years of marriage together before Conway’s passing in 2019.

Jenene was a mom who loved fun. She was the one who started the water fights and went toilet papering with her kids. Her sense of humor was her hallmark. She loved laughing and practical jokes. Although she disliked the spotlight and never did public speaking, Jenene could talk to anyone. While her beloved Conway wasn’t “much of a fraternizer” as he described it, Jenene loved to be around people. She made friends wherever she went and attended as many gatherings as she could. She also loved to travel and often accompanied friends and family on trips.

Jenene was a beautiful pianist. For nearly 50 years she played piano for the children in her ward’s primary services. It was her favorite calling. Sometimes to get the children’s attention during prelude, she would grin and launch into Christmas songs in the middle of summer. She knew how to make them smile. She also served as a Pink Lady (greeter) at Mountain View Hospital for over twenty years, only retiring when the pandemic retired that position. She loved serving the community in that way and made many lifelong friends.

Jenene adored her twenty grandchildren and was a great friend to them. Her outgoing and fun-loving personality also made her a local favorite and she was known as Grandma Barker to the neighborhood children, whom she’d wave to from her front porch. Just as she had opened her home to friends and family over the years, her neighborhood opened their hearts to her and helped watch over ‘Grandma Barker’ in recent years.

We will greatly miss her laughter and love, but are glad she finally gets to rejoin her sweetheart and family. We are sure she already has them on the front porch of heaven laughing over something she’s said.

She journeys ahead of her four children and their spouses: Jeff (Jan) Barker, Scott (Sheri) Barker, Paul (Doreen) Barker, and Jeanie (Doug) Vance. She also leads the way for 20 grandchildren, 54 great-grandchildren, and one great-great-grandchild.

Funeral services will be held Tuesday, August 27, 2024 at 11:00am at the Santaquin East Stake Center, 548 South 400 East, where friends may call from 10:00 - 10:45 prior to the services. There will also be a visitation and Celebration of Life the prior evening, Monday, August 26, from 6:30-8:00 at the same location.

Interment will be at the Santaquin City Cemetery.