Barbara Jean Harken (Red Barb), 81 of Waverly, Iowa, passed away early Tuesday morning, August 11, 2026, at the Bartels Lutheran Retirement Community in Waverly.
Barb was born on July 14, 1945, in St. Luke’s Presbyterian Hospital in Chicago, Illinois, the daughter of Zenon and Evelyn Marie (Counihan) Dobron. In 1948, the family moved to a suburb of Chicago, Oak Lawn where she was baptized and confirmed. In 1960 they moved to Marshalltown, Iowa. Barb graduated in 1963 from Marshalltown High School and then attended Wartburg College in Waverly, graduating in 1967 with a BA in Education. On July 29, 1967, Barb was united in marriage to Robert G. Harken. The couple moved to Grundy Center where Barb started her teaching career. In 1970, Barb began teaching at Dunkerton High School where she remained an English and History teacher until 1993. She finished her high school teaching career at Denver, IA in 2006. While teaching she received her master’s degree from Viterbo University. During “retirement” she became an adjunct professor in teaching and writing at Wartburg College until 2016 when she was felled by a stroke.
Bob and Barb moved to Shell Rock in 1977, where Barb was a devoted member of Faith Lutheran Church. She loved shopping, decorating, gardening, singing, and writing. Barb published 3 novels and sang in the Shell Rock Swing Show for 20 years. She loved spending time with her students and always regarded them as her own, especially her “bonus daughter” Maggie Mnayer. She loved running into former students over the years and her favorite moments were when they would tell her she was the hardest teacher they had but recall more from her class than any other.
Her family and friends meant the world to her and a saying that she truly believed in “How can I be out of money when I still have checks” is something we will remember fondly. Barb’s super power was being able to spot a sale and obtain a department store credit card regardless if she had an ID on her.
Barb is survived by her loving husband of over 59 years, Bob; two sons, Scott (Aubree) Harken of Johnston, Iowa, Rob (Stacy) Harken of Overland Park, Kansas; three grandchildren, Joseph Tate, Rori Patricia and Jacob Everet; and one brother, Mike (Mary Lou) Dobron of Springfield, IL. Barb was preceded in death by her son Joe in 1986; her parents, Zenon and Evelyn; and sisters/brother-in-law, Barbara Ann Knoop, Linda Williams and Charles Harken.
All obituary information has been taken from the funeral home, newspaper or other online resource.
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