Barbara Barklage

Barbara Hoche Barklage, 94, of Cape Girardeau died Sunday, Sept. 12, 2021, at Morningside Assisted Living in Mayfield, Kentucky.

She was born April 30, 1927, in Cape Girardeau to David Edmund and Frances Betts Hoche. She was a sixth generation Cape Girardeau resident, who was raised in the family home built in the early 1800s that still stands at 151 S. Spanish St.

She and Donald Barklage were married Aug. 10, 1946, at Centenary United Methodist Church in Cape Girardeau.

Barbara graduated from Cape Girardeau Central High School and Southeast Missouri State University with a bachelor of arts degree in history and master's degree in psychological counseling, and later received specialized training at the Menninger Foundation. She was the therapist in charge of the Perryville (Missouri) Mental Health Clinic and later was a family counselor at the Community Counseling Center until her retirement. She also served on the Community Counseling Center Foundation Board.

She was a longtime Girl Scout leader, serving as president of the board of directors of the Otahki Girl Scout Council and as its executive director, overseeing the construction of the 1,100-acre Camp Cherokee Ridge.

Barbara was a member of the FY chapter of the PEO for over 70 years, holding various positions including president.

She was a lifelong member of Centenary United Methodist Church, serving as a Sunday school teacher, Methodist Youth Foundation leader and a member of the Church Circle. She was a member of the Southeast Missouri Hospital Auxiliary, volunteering hundreds of hours; a Southeast Missouri State Athletic Booster; a member of multiple PTAs and of the Cape Girardeau Jaycees.

Survivors include three children, Donna (Robert) Crader of Mindoro, Wisconsin; Susan (Glyn) Gordon of Mayfield; and David (Audra) Barklage of St. Louis; five grandchildren, Zachary (Erin) Crader, Elizabeth (Matt) Murphy, Katherine (Will) Zanetis, Mary Claire Hall and Annie Hall; and two great-grandchildren, Hendrix Crader and Margaret Katherine Murphy.

A private funeral will be held at Ford and Sons Mount Auburn Funeral Home with burial to follow at Cape County Memorial Park.

Memorials may be made to Centenary United Methodist Church or to the David E. Hoche Memorial Scholarship c/o Southeast Missouri University Foundation, One University Plaza, MS7300, Cape Girardeau, MO 63701.

Online condolences may be made at www.fordandsonsfuneralhome.com.