Myrtle Barker Beck

Myrtle Barker Beck passed away on Tuesday, January 3lst, in the presence of her family, at Alston-Brook Nursing Facility. Mrs. Beck had resided there since May 2lst, 2010, due to her decline associated with Alzheimer's disease. Mrs. Beck will be interred at Salisbury National Cemetery with her husband on Wednesday, February 8th, at 2 p.m.. Anyone wishing to pay his or her last respects is welcome to attend. Mrs. Beck was born in Alarka, North Carolina, in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains. She was born on August 12th, 1929, to Julius and Myra Barker, the second of nine children. Because she was the oldest daughter, she took on the care of her younger siblings before she was five years old. Mrs. Beck moved to Gastonia around age 15 to work, and then moved in with her family around 18 when they migrated to Lexington. Mrs. Beck met her husband, Foy (Duke) Edward Beck while working at Dakota Cotton Mill. They married on May 19th, 1950. After having her only child, Joan, Mrs. Beck was a homemaker. Having a bountiful love for children, Mrs. Beck provided daycare for several children through the years, giving them love and security. These included some of her nieces and nephews, and her grandson, Heath. At 70 years of age, she had the joy of caring for her great-granddaughter, Bethany. Mrs. Beck was a faithful wife, and kept a comfortable and welcoming home. She loved taking care of her garden and yard, always canning seasonal fruit and vegetables, much of which were given as gifts. She loved reading, and later did cross-stitch and crewel work, much of it for her daughter and gifts to extended family members. She was caregiver for her husband from 1983 until his death in 2005. Mrs. Beck opened her home to her own mother several times to care for her, and was in her mother's home frequently to care for Mrs. Barker before her death in 1997. She was available and willing to help many times with both her own family and her husband's family. Mrs. Beck was preceded in death by her parents, her brothers, Felix and Noah Barker, and her sisters, Ruby Chapman and husband, Melvin, and Shirley Hensley. Surviving are her daughter Joan, and beloved son-in-law Steve Harris, Heath Harris, her grandson, and Bethany, her great-granddaughter. She also has two living sisters, Lassie Ingold and husband Charles, and Lois Garrison and husband Jimmy, and sisters-in-law, Dorothy Beck, Marie Moncus, and Joetta Koontz and husband, Jerry, and Carolyn Barker. She has many nieces and nephews, and their children, all of whom were loved by Mrs. Beck.