Erma R. Barker

Erma Ruth Barker, age 85, of Wayne, passed away on Tuesday, March 10, 2026, at Providence Medical Center.

Born on March 26, 1940, in Laurel, Erma was the daughter of Arthur Glen “Ted” and Erma Ruth (Hamm) Young. She spent her childhood on the family farm in rural Wayne County and graduated from Wayne High School. On May 26, 1957, she married Arthur Francis Barker at the First United Methodist Church in Wayne. The couple made their home in Laurel, Dunnell, Minnesota, Crofton, Wilcox, and Wakefield before settling in Wayne.

Erma worked as a school cook and custodian, a sewer at Restful Knights, a bookkeeper, and a Tupperware salesperson. Above all, she cherished her roles as mom, grandma, and great-grandma.

She is survived by her children, Erma (Craig) Johnson of Bridgeport, Pat Ourada (Dale Larson) of Funk, Ardie Sommerfeld of Wakefield, Roy (Tammy) Barker of Blair, and Kelly (Duane) Witt of Wayne; eleven grandchildren; nineteen great-grandchildren; her sister, Janice Brockman of Norfolk; sister-in-law, Mina Young of Laurel; brother-in-law, Jim Iddings of Sioux City, Iowa; and many nieces and nephews.

Erma was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Art, in 2011; her parents-in-law, Charles and Ida (Hohneke) Barker; her sisters, Dorothy (Walter) Hale and Dona Iddings; her brothers, Bill Young and Pat Young; her infant granddaughter, Dayna LaRaye Witt; and her son-in-law, Kirk Sommerfeld.