Ruth and Hartley Barker
Updated at 3:42 p.m. Friday to correct the timing of the memorial service in the fourth paragraph.
For Ruth Barker, the concept of leadership meant exhibiting patience, providing a sense of stability and listening to the opinions of others.
The soft-spoken former Wisconsin Rapids resident, whose family tree has deep roots in the community, often worked behind the scenes in the projects she helped facilitate, but that did not mean others didn't take notice, those who knew her said. ...