Karen Cherrie Barker May 25, 1942 - October 28, 2020

Our kind loving mother, grandmother, and friend, Karen “Cherrie” Fullmer Barker, passed away at Utah Valley Hospital on Wednesday, October 28, 2020, surrounded by her loving children.

Cherrie was born in Leland, Utah, on May 25, 1942, a daughter to Mary Ann and John Elmer Fullmer. Cherrie attended schools in Spanish Fork and Springville. She graduated from Springville High School. She married her high school sweetheart, Richard Albert Barker, on January 13, 1961, in Mapleton, Utah. They were sealed for time and eternity on October 13, 1967, in the Salt Lake LDS Temple.

Throughout her life she worked many different part-time jobs, including the Barbizon, Signetics, BYU Bookstore, Sears Telecatalog, Utah Valley Hospital; and later, as a Home Health Aide. But her greatest and most rewarding job was being a mother to her 5 children and spoiling all of her grandkids.

Cherrie is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, where she served in many callings including Primary President, Primary Teacher, Young Womens leader and Scout leader. She had a strong testimony of our Savior and the gospel, which she passed on to her children.

Cherrie enjoyed spending time in the canyons and camping with her family. She had a great love for the outdoors. She enjoyed telling stories of her childhood and the time she spent on her family’s farm and at her grandmother’s house. Cherrie enjoyed cooking, baking and making candy . Her family’s favorites were her buttermilk scones with honey butter, meatloaf and her chili sauce. Cherrie was blessed with the gift of being artistically talented. She enjoyed making flower arrangements, painting ceramics, she painted oil paintings, and she made many craft projects that Richard would cut out of wood and she would paint them into something beautiful. She loved to sew and was an amazing seamstress. She loved making clothing and tying quilts for her children, when they were young. She shared these talents and gifts with many of her family, friends, and neighbors throughout the years. Cherrie loved collecting porcelain dolls, teacups, and spoons from different areas, where she and Richard traveled. She was one of BYU football’s loudest cheerleaders and biggest fans. Everyone knew when a football game was on because you could hear her cheering all around the block. Mom loved her Diet Coke, especially with crushed ice to the rim that she ate like it was a slushie.

Cherrie always had a listening ear and time for anybody who needed her. One of her greatest joys was spending time with her grandchildren. Cherrie was a woman that did anything she could do to help out another person. She will continue to carry on this legacy, with the gift of life to others, by being an organ donor.

Cherrie is survived by her five children: Kevin Barker (Candy), of Nephi, UT; Kerry Barker (Tiffany), of Kingman, AZ; Michelle Pilgeram (Darin), of Tooele, UT; Kimberly Kidrick (Tony), of Santaquin, UT; and Rebecca Wuebkes (Dave), of Nephi, UT; 17 grandchildren; her husband’s family that loved her like she was their own: Reed Barker (Judy), of Salem, OR; Marilyn Lemon (Melvin), of Pleasant Grove, UT; and Katherine Riches, of Spanish Fork, UT. She is also survived by many nieces, nephews. She was preceded in death by her eternal companion, Richard; her parents; her brothers: Clark Fullmer, Verlin Fullmer, and Garn Fullmer; sister, Colleen Fullmer Anderson; her husband’s parents and family: Harold and Afton Barker; Carma and Jerry Rasmussen; and Gary Riches.

Funeral services will be held Thursday, November 5, 2020, at 11 a.m. at Walker Funeral Home, 187 South Main, Spanish Fork, UT. Family and friends may call at Walker Funeral Home, on Wednesday evening, November 4, 2020, from 6-8 p.m. and on Thursday morning, at the funeral home, from 9:45-10:45 a.m. Interment will be in the Spanish Fork City Cemetery.

The family would like to thank the excellent doctors, and nursing staff from Utah Valley Hospital, and the staff from Ashford Assisted Living, for all the kindness and compassionate care that was given to our mother.

The funeral services will be broadcast from this obituary page. Please return to this page on Thursday just prior to the service to access the live stream.