Carol Barkledge (Helton) passed suddenly on May 4, 2006 of unknown causes. She was a friend throughout high school and our friendship only deepened with time. I considered her my best friend. We attended Lindenwood College together where she majored in elementary education. Oh, the fun we had one spring break in Mexico! She and Mike Helton married right after graduation. I was honored to be her maid of honor. She went on to get a masters degree and teach elementary school for almost 30 years. When she retired, she became more active in church and Bible studies and lived in a large, lovely home in St. Charles. They visited us in Virginia one year and my husband and I took them to see a few Civil War sites that especially interested Mike and we went on a Potomac River dinner cruise, which was more Carol's thing. They bought a weekend place in Branson where they spent a lot of happy times. Carol was like sunshine ... always upbeat, interested in what you were doing, with plans for cooking something delicious and inviting company over. She was devoted to Mike and so enjoyed being a home maker, but they also found time to take several trips to Hawaii. Carol loved Hawaii! Still, she seemed happiest in her own nest. It was a terrible shock when she died. She had called me the night before and left a message on my phone saying she just wanted to chat. I never got to call her back. I miss her deeply. No matter what the issue I could always call her and talk and she would be supportive and understand. How blessed I was to call her my friend. She was one of the finest ... smart, kind, hard working ... people I have ever known. I miss you, Carol!
Carol and I grew up together. We lived next door --she in the farm house she was born in and I in one my father built when I was two. She was an only child and somewhat pampered by her mom and dad and her grandmother, who lived on the first level of Carol's home. I loved to play at her house because she had all of the fun games---we especially liked Candy Land. Her things were always perfect because she didn't have a little sister or older brothers like I did to tear things up. When they built the "New" Penn Junction school, her mother became the secretary there. The school was just down the road from our homes. I don't remember exactly when she moved away, but the farm property around us was selling and they built a home on Old St Charles Road. We were always friends, but after high school I never saw her again. We kept in touch at Christmas--she did love her husband Mike and her dogs. I really wasn;t surprised that she never had children. One year i didn't get a Christmas card from her and heard later she had died suddenly of a heart attack. I was so sorry that I had not gotten back to see her. I was always in St Louis for some family thing or another--I just never took the extra time to reconnect. I am surprised at other deaths from our class---Tom Bell and Terry Teter in particular--both "boys" I also grew up with and was really looking forward to seeing at this reunion.
Patricia "Tricia" Byrne
Carol Barkledge (Helton) passed suddenly on May 4, 2006 of unknown causes. She was a friend throughout high school and our friendship only deepened with time. I considered her my best friend. We attended Lindenwood College together where she majored in elementary education. Oh, the fun we had one spring break in Mexico! She and Mike Helton married right after graduation. I was honored to be her maid of honor. She went on to get a masters degree and teach elementary school for almost 30 years. When she retired, she became more active in church and Bible studies and lived in a large, lovely home in St. Charles. They visited us in Virginia one year and my husband and I took them to see a few Civil War sites that especially interested Mike and we went on a Potomac River dinner cruise, which was more Carol's thing. They bought a weekend place in Branson where they spent a lot of happy times. Carol was like sunshine ... always upbeat, interested in what you were doing, with plans for cooking something delicious and inviting company over. She was devoted to Mike and so enjoyed being a home maker, but they also found time to take several trips to Hawaii. Carol loved Hawaii! Still, she seemed happiest in her own nest. It was a terrible shock when she died. She had called me the night before and left a message on my phone saying she just wanted to chat. I never got to call her back. I miss her deeply. No matter what the issue I could always call her and talk and she would be supportive and understand. How blessed I was to call her my friend. She was one of the finest ... smart, kind, hard working ... people I have ever known. I miss you, Carol!Judy Null (Gunn)
Carol and I grew up together. We lived next door --she in the farm house she was born in and I in one my father built when I was two. She was an only child and somewhat pampered by her mom and dad and her grandmother, who lived on the first level of Carol's home. I loved to play at her house because she had all of the fun games---we especially liked Candy Land. Her things were always perfect because she didn't have a little sister or older brothers like I did to tear things up. When they built the "New" Penn Junction school, her mother became the secretary there. The school was just down the road from our homes. I don't remember exactly when she moved away, but the farm property around us was selling and they built a home on Old St Charles Road. We were always friends, but after high school I never saw her again. We kept in touch at Christmas--she did love her husband Mike and her dogs. I really wasn;t surprised that she never had children. One year i didn't get a Christmas card from her and heard later she had died suddenly of a heart attack. I was so sorry that I had not gotten back to see her. I was always in St Louis for some family thing or another--I just never took the extra time to reconnect. I am surprised at other deaths from our class---Tom Bell and Terry Teter in particular--both "boys" I also grew up with and was really looking forward to seeing at this reunion.
Judy Null Gunn