Woodbury reported that there was no one inside alive. Kate Barker (born Barker didnt discourage her sons from their criminal enterprises, nor did she discipline them. She held at least five different aliases over the years and may have helped stash goods, launder money, and, per the Orlando Sentinel, case banks. Ma Barker The Barker Gang Criminal Family . June 17, 1932 Fred Barker, Karpis and five accomplices robbed Fort Scott, Kansas Bank. The gang moved to Chicago but decided to leave because Karpis did not want to work for Al Capone. That event kicked off a series of crimes that would escalate in seriousness to include robbery, kidnapping, and murder. He is also survived by many loving aunts, uncles and cousins. Some say she was no more than a common hillbilly woman, others claim she was the mastermind of the entire Barker-Karpis Gang, who stole more money than John Dillinger, Bonnie and Clyde, and Vern Miller combined, notes author Chris Enss and left a trail of nearly a dozen . Agents surrounded the house at 13250 East Highway C-25 on the morning of January 16, 1935. Herman died on August 29, 1927 in Wichita, Kansas, after a robbery and confrontation with police that left one officer dead. In 1918, Arthur Barker and his associates stole a few cars. [6] By 1933, most of the gang were back in St. Paul where they carried out two kidnappings of wealthy businessmen. Ms. 29.245,fol. As the legend goes, his last words before he pulled the trigger were, "forgive me, Ma," notes Judith A. Yates in "Put the Money in My Purse!". Soon, cars full of high school students from Ocala, a town 20 miles north, were turning up to watch the gunfight. About Kate "Ma" Barker. Microfiche. [6] According to Claire Bond Potter, "Her age and apparent respectability permitted the gang to hide out 'disguised' as a family. Some say she was no more than a common hillbilly woman, others claim she was the mastermind of the entire Barker-Karpis Gang, who stole more money than John Dillinger, Bonnie and Clyde, and Vern Miller combined, notes author Chris Enss and left a trail of nearly a dozen dead law enforcement officers in their wake. Yet, more witches were arrested in Andover than in Salem, 14 miles away - as the witch flies. In 1892, she married George Barker in Lawrence County, Missouri, and the couple had four sons: Herman (18931927), Lloyd (18971949), Arthur (18991939), and Fred (19011935). In September 1932, Arthur and Lloyd were released from prison and joined Fred and Alvin. A strong-willed matriarch who allegedly helped organize her sons crimes, Kate Barker better known as Ma Barker was killed after a four-hour gun battle with FBI agents in Ocklawaha, Florida in 1935. He was born in Springfield on January 22, 1930 to the late Robina (Waters) and Herbert Barker. Agents surrounded the house at 13250 East Highway C-25 on the morning of January 16, 1935. Authorities found a map belonging to Arthur and were able to determine that the other gang members were hiding out in Ocklawaha, Florida. This tragedy took a toll on both Kate and George Barker - but they handled it differently. A four-hour shootout - the longest in FBI history, notes the Orlando Sentinel- ensued and at the end of it, both Ma and Fred were dead. In October 2016, the Ma Barker home in Ocklawaha, Florida, was relocated via barge across Lake Weir to Carney Island in Marion County in preparation for being opened to the public as a museum in late 2017 or 2018. /Type /FontDescriptor 1. But who was this woman, mostly known these days only by a single black-and -white photo reminiscent of a smirking, backwoods Mona Lisa? Ma and Fred Barkers bodies were first put on public display, then remained unclaimed until Oct. 1, 1935, at which time relatives had them buried next to Herman Barker at Williams Timberhill Cemetery located in Welch, Oklahoma. Things improved for her in 1931 after her son Fred was released from jail. Visitation was held on Sunday, September 11th 2022 from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM at the Conte Funeral Home - Andover (28 Florence St, Andover, MA 01810). The lakefront Florida retreat where FBI agents gunned down gangland legend Ma Barker in 1935 is up for sale - bullet holes and all.. The Barkers were for many centuries almost exclusively connected with Shropshire, a county equalled by few others in England as to the number of its old historic families. Samuel Barker was a lineal descendant of John Barker, of Shropshire, England, who married, in 1549, Elizabeth Hill, a sister of Sir Rowland Hill, the first Protestant Lord Mayor of London. Middle Name. Ma tossed out her husband around that same time and lived in abject poverty from 1928 to 1931 during her sons incarceration. One of the copyholders seems to have been chosen by the rest to act in this capacity; in 7 Edw. << Barker's sons committed crimes as early as 1910, when Herman was arrested for highway robbery after running over a child in the getaway car. This is an old English family. As they came of age, Ma Barkers sons turned to a life of crime, as evidenced by Hermans 1915 arrest in Joplin, Missouri for highway robbery. Over the next few years, Herman and his brothers were repeatedly involved in crimes of increasing seriousness, including robbery and murder. /CapHeight 694 Gang member Alvin Karpis claims Barker wasn't a real criminal. Following their public display, the bodies of Fred and Ma Barker went unclaimed for nine months before George Barker finally took them home to Oklahoma to be buried next to Herman Barker, per the Joplin Globe. Geni requires JavaScript! A wanted poster issued at this time offered $100 reward for the capture of "Old Lady Arrie Barker" as an accomplice. Special agents surrounded the house at about 5:30 in the morning on Jan. 16, 1935. The gang left a swath of crime and violence Williams Timberhill Cemetery in Welch, Okla. [Newton, Michael. One year later, the gang kidnapped Edward George Bremer Jr., the president of Commercial State Bank. -- 1 sheet ; 11 x 15 cm Sources of the history -Origin of the family - Landmarks and heirlooms -- Signs and abbreviations -- Descendants of Robert Barker -- Descendants of John Barker The bidding began at one million dollars and included the original furnishings, but the house ultimately went unsold. Let's take a trip back in time to the very wild real-life story of Ma Barker. My people in this country originate from James Barker of Rowley, Massa chusetts. According to Chris Enss and Howard Kazanjian in their book "Ma Barker," the family moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma, for a fresh start, but the troubles with the law only increased. Bremer was released three . He married Mary Stickney on 10 or 11 May 1667 in Rowley. However, this is widely regarded by historians as fictitious, and some have been skeptical that she participated in the shoot-out in which she died. January 8, 1935 Arthur "Doc" Barker arrested in Chicago; Barker gang member, January 16, 1935 Fred and Ma Barker killed by FBI in Ocklawaha, Florida (Marion County). The 1910 to 1930 censuses and the Tulsa City Directories . In the decades since her death, Ma Barkers role as the leader and mastermind behind the Barker-Karpis gang has been depicted in several movies including the low-budget 1960 film Ma Barkers Killer Brood, starring Lurene Tuttle, 1970s Bloody Mama starring Shelley Winters and Robert De Niro, and Public Enemies, a 1996 film starring Theresa Russell. But Hoover went straight to the press, describing Barker as a "she-wolf" who was "the most vicious, dangerous, and resourceful criminal brain of the last decade," notes "Ma Barker," by Chris Enss and Howard Kazanjian. Fred Barker was born to George Elias and Arizona Donnie Clark "Ma" Barker in Aurora, Missouri on December 12, 1901. Their production was 30 thousand dollars. In 1891 there were 10,030 Barker families living in Yorkshire. The troubles started small - rocks thrown through windows, wallets stolen from pockets at church - but soon escalated to greater and greater misdeeds. Ma Barker. He was also a heavy drinker who liked to talk, notes the Ma Barker House. Had she lived she likely would have been simply been charged with accessory and harboring fugitives. 7 . The first word of her simple, unassuming grave marker reads: "Ma. My interest was further piqued because Arizona Clark had been born in Greene Co., MO, and my mother and I had both been born in Greene Co. George and Arizona Barker had also spent time in Stone Co., MO, where my father had been born. J. Edgar Hoover called her "the most vicious, dangerous, and resourceful criminal brain of the last decade.". Arrie did everything that she could to get her sons off, no matter what they had done.[3]. According to Chris Enss and Howard Kazanjian in their book, "Ma Barker," she would yell, cry, write lettersto parole boards, or, as J. Edgar Hoover alleges, bribe the police to destroy evidence. With over 30 billion records and 100 million family trees to search, Ancestry is one of the key websites to visit to help you trace your family tree back in time. They pulled the same trick, this time bringing in $200,000. According to Karpiss (per Chris Enss and Howard Kazanjian's book "Ma Barker"), Kate allowed Dunlop to "sponge off of her" and was a "pain in the ass." The house was moved from original site to Carney Island Recreation and Conservation Area in Ocklawaha. The FBI reported that a small arsenal found in the house consisted of two .45 caliber automatic pistols, two Thompson submachine guns, a .33 caliber Winchester rifle, a .380 caliber Colt automatic pistol, a Browning 12 gauge automatic shotgun, and a Remington 12 gauge pump shotgun. /Flags 4 In the reign of Edward II, the overlord of the manor was Bartholomew de Bcdlcsmere. Arthur Barker was killed when he tried to escape from Alcatraz Prison. In the late 1920s and early 1930s, St. Paul, Minnesota, was just that place. 1910 Herman Barker arrested for highway robbery in Webb City, Missouri. /MediaBox [ 0 0 612 792 ] Feeling the heat, the gang left St. Paul and returned to Chicago, where they tried to launder the ransom money. Joseph Passed away in 1980. 4 0 obj Among the four of them, between 1915 and 1927, they were arrested for robbery, stealing cars, and even murder, as per History. This was hardly fair. Fred shot the sheriff four times. February 10, 1922 Arthur "Doc" Barker received (#11906) at Oklahoma State Prison for the murder of Sherrill. We collect and match historical records that Ancestry users have contributed to their family trees to create each person's profile. Unfortunately, this odd tidbit led the G-Men right to their doorstep. In 1932, Dunlop's naked body was found by a lake in Wisconsin, killed by three bullets fired at close range, as per the FBI. The red-haired, plump Kate Barker was always something of a spitfire. He got away with it for almost a month before a copfinally caught up with him. Although she stood only5-feet 4-inches tall, notes Chris Enss and Howard Kazanjian in "Ma Barker," she made a lasting impression on those who met her. Simone: This is Chris Enss, she's a history writer and co-author of Ma Barker: America's Most Wanted Mother. ", "The standard authority for the history of Shropshire families is the collection of manuscript pedigrees based on the Heralds' Visitations of 1584 and 1623, when representatives of such families as claimed the right to bear arms were summoned to appear before a Herald and give account of their ancestry. They later moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma around the time Herman completed his grade school education. In the 1920s, he was employed as a farmer, watchman, station engineer, and clerk. In August 1933, gangsters attacked a vehicle carrying the money. Share your family tree and photos with the people you know and love. All four of Kate Barker's sons spent a good amount of time incarcerated throughout their lives. Compare DNA and explore genealogy for Richard Barker born abt. "When we traveled together, we moved as a mother and her sons," he said. [4] The BarkerKarpis Gang's most infamous crimes were committed after the move to St. Paul, during their residency in a string of rented houses. He soon had three little brothers: Lloyd was born in 1896, Arthur (nicknamed "Doc") in 1899, and Fred in 1903. endobj Wrong username or password. Of course, this only made her more eager to do it, notes Chris Enss and Howard Kazanjian in "Ma Barker.". These grand gestures were often successful in getting sentences terminated - or at least greatly reduced. February 19, 1920 Arthur Barker arrested in Joplin, Missouri (#1740); returned to Tulsa, Oklahoma. July 26, 1932 Fred Barker, Karpis (with an augmented gang) robbed Cloud County bank at. November 8, 1931 Fred Barker killed an Arkansas police chief. The two Massachusetts Barkers, Robert and John, were doubtless descendants of the same ancient and honorable Barker family of Shropshire, from which it has been found that Samuel Barker, of Delaware, and James Barker, of Rhode Island, are descended. The 1910 to 1930 censuses and the Tulsa City Directories from 1916 to 1928 show that George Barker worked in a variety of generally low-paying jobs. The connecting links have been supplied from the Court Rolls of the Manors of Warfield and Claverley, and after about 1560 one begins to find parish church registers.