Call George !!!

Having lived in Springdale for over 40 years, I was blessed to be part of a wonderful community of loving friends that were more like family. I taught K-2 at the Elementary school for 36 years and worked with Leon Lewis for many of those years. I also had the joy of teaching music and writing and directing the Christmas programs and the End of Year programs. That is how I met Margaret Benson. She played the piano for our programs for over 10 years. Those two individuals turned out to be such a strength to me during one of the hardest times of my life.

My husband, George ,worked for the Town of Springdale. He was responsible for mowing and the maintenance of the parks and the cemetery. He worked long and hard on the creation of the park at the South end of town. Eventually…it would be named for him, George A. Barker, a good man who lived with his work shoes on.

George was diagnosed with melanoma cancer in the Fall of 2002. He had surgery and was fighting it hard. He seemed to be getting better. Christmas came and went and he went back to work. Then in May he went for his three month check up and the news wasn’t good. It had spread throughout his body…even to his brain. This meant he couldn’t be left alone. He had to have someone with him at all times in case he had a seizure.

The city was caring and supportive. They hired our son Jeff to work alongside him, to help him be able to continue working. We all took turns and adjusted our schedules to make sure he was never alone.

Kurt Wright was the Chief of Police at the time. He called one day to tell me that he was working on getting the town to name the River Park after George. I was humbled with gratitude. It was approved and a date for the dedication of the park was planned. Kurt asked me who I would like to have speak. Without hesitation I asked him if we could have Leon and Margaret. He agreed.

Leon had been a friend to our family for years. Always helping anyone in need. When Margaret and Ted Benson moved to Springdale and Margaret and I started working together on our music, we became fast friends! They found out real quickly that whatever they had break at their home, George could, and would, fix it. A leak? Call George. Dishwasher won’t wash? Call George. Heater won’t heat? Call George. Air conditioner on the fritz? Call George. That became the mantra in their home when a problem arose. Margaret shared that sentiment in her remarks at the park dedication.

Many people became close to George. Nina Rodriques would bring him her famous shortbread cookies to sustain him while working on the park! The Bonners, for whom there is a plaque on the bridge, were our close friends. The path over the bridge is a favorite dog walk. There are so many that were touched by the ripple effect that is caused by a life well lived.

The George A Barker…River Park…is a symbol of the close community that supports, loves and takes care of its own. It represents decades of people who lived and grew up in Springdale. There are generations of souls who returned to visit the place where they made memories while spending time with family. Many things have changed in that canyon community over the years but nothing can change the memories and experiences that made our lives richer for having been there. I will always cherish my years in Springdale. Our family will treasure the park where so much love resides,.

The George A Barker Park, named for an individual, is symbolically named for each one who sacrifices time and energy for another. It is named for the couple who took a needy stranger in. It is named for the woman who takes the time to pick up trash on her walks. It is named for the one who helps an elderly woman get dressed in the morning. As we serve, it is named for each of us.

I pray we all have a George in our lives. I pray even more fervently that we may BE a George in someone else’s life. Our little park was named after an individual who was caring and kind because this is a community of individuals who live that legacy.