Ora Bea Barnard

is honored with a Brick from Mary M. Manlove.

My Mother, Ora Bea ( Burford ) Barnard was a woman before her time. She was born in Milton, Kansas on February 19, 1896, the third child of Louis Nimrod and Joanna Brown Burford. Louis Burford died when Mother was three months of age and my grandmother was left to raise her three children with no income and few assets. She was allowed to go back into teaching since she was a widow, and Mother was kept by one of her aunts. This was a close family and all the relatives rallied around to help Joanna.

Ora Bea had a happy childhood with her sister, brother, and many cousins to play with and support each other. They were active in the Methodist Church and the community. She graduated with honors from the Milton High School in 1915. She taught school one year and married my father, Hugh Blake Barnard, on June 24 1916. They moved to Byers, Kansas and Hugh bought a barbershop and also ran a rural mail route. Ora Bea gave piano lessons and boarded two teachers.

They were thrifty and saved enough money so that in 1920 they were able to buy a partnership in The Wichita Shirt Company and moved to Wichita. They bought a house and Mother worked as a secretary for Daddy for eight years. During that time, she told how they divided the work at home, doing the laundry together as well as the cleaning of the house. They also ate out and bought food at a nearby deli several nights a week. All this was highly unusual in the 1920s.

Ora Bea was to quit working when the children came, but as none came they decided to adopt. This was not so common at that period of time, and she told how relatives and friends thought this unwise. Mother was very unhappy with this unsought advice. I was born on January 15 1928 and adopted by them three months later. My sister, JoAnn was adopted in 1930 and, much to their surprise, my brother Jack was born on November 5, 1932. We were a happy family and in every way Hugh and Ora Bea were excellent parents. I have never had any desire to know my birth parents as they were truly my beloved Mother and Father.

Mother did not work outside the home after we children were born, but in every way was an equal partner in her marriage. She was an excellent cook and did beautiful hand work and tatting. We all have many beautiful things she made; she also made many of our clothes. As I use the tablecloths, napkins, quilts etc., it brings back precious memories of her. She was an example to all and I have tried to follow that example.

After my Father's death in 1954, Mother was able to continue handling their various investments and the farm in Sherman County. Mother lived 25 years after my Father's death and 15 of those years in a house next door to us. Even though she was in a lot of pain with arthritis, she was not one to complain and was always a joy to be around She was good for my children and they kept her attitude young.

After my Father's death, she began to write poetry as a way to handle her grief. She published a small book which is treasured by family and friends. She was a truly beautiful Christian woman and fulfilled the scripture in Micah 6:8 which says " And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." Ora Bea Barnard died on October 1, 1981 but is not forgotten by those of us who loved her dearly.

I think you can see why I called her a woman before her time.

Submitted by Mary Margaret Barnard Manlove

November 3, 1998