Barbara Whitaker-Falconbridge

Barbara June Whitaker-Falconbridge, was born September 27, 1936 in Kansas City, KS to Eugene and Cecil Whitaker. She passed away Saturday evening, May 2, 2015, surrounded by her loving family and devoted friends. She was 78 years old. During her early years, Barbara, along with her younger brother and parents, traveled the shodeo circuit all across the country, performing trick riding on her beloved horses, Duke, Cherokee and Princess. She also played guitar and sang in several acts along with her mother and other shodeo performers. At the age of four she starred in the movie Rodeo Rhythm along with the Roy Knapp Rough Riders. Barbara graduated from Kincaid High School and was married to Rex Hobbs Sr. of Blue Mound, KS. They had three children, Kathy, Vicki and Rex, Jr. After their divorce she moved to Wichita where she attended business school and upon graduation, went to work for Boeing Aircraft as a bookkeeper. There, she met her second husband, Charles Falconbridge. They had one daughter, Heather Dawn with whom Barbara lived with during the past year when her health began to decline. Barbara and Charlie relocated permanently to Iola in the early 60s and Barbara continued to work as a bookkeeper for several Iola businesses. She retired from the Allen County Treasurer's Office in the late 90's. While employed full time, Barbara still found time to work at her hobbies. She began creating porcelain dolls in the late eighties. She gave them to friends and grandkids and also traveled to doll & toy shows where she was very successful in turning her talents into a money making venture. Later, she started a successful catering business that she operated for several years until retirement from the courthouse. Barbara was always busy. She was a lifetime member of the Kincaid Order of Eastern Star, the Iola Business and Professional Women and volunteered extensively for Meals on Wheels, Allen County Senior Citizens, lots of committee work with the 1st Baptist Church of Iola and ACARF. She was also an accomplished bowler and bowled with the same team of lady bowlers for almost twenty years. Barbara was an avid gardener and antique collector. She was a regular at local auctions, estate sales and garage sales. During her later years, Barbara successfully raised and sold Yorkshire Terriers. She continued with this passion until her health began to deteriorate a few years ago. Barbara is survived by her brother, Roger Whitaker of LaHarpe, KS and her children; Kathy Roberts, Paola, KS, Vicki Craig and her husband Don, Spavinaw, Oklahoma, Rex Hobbs Jr., and his wife Suzanne of Paola, KS, and Heather Howard and her husband Kevin of Iola, KS. She is also survived by 13 grandchildren, 12 great grandchildren, and three great great grandchildren. Visitation will be held at the 1st Baptist Church from 6pm to 8pm Tuesday, May 5th. Funeral services will be held at the church the following morning at 10:30am, May 6th. Interment will be at Hubble Hill Cemetery, Tonganoxie, KS, at 3pm. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to ACARF in Barbara's memory. Memorial gifts may be left with the Waugh-Yokum & Friskel Memorial Chapel of Iola, which is in charge of arrangements. To sign the guestbook online or leave a condolence, go to www.iolafuneral.com .