Barbara Calleen Lake

Barbara Calleen (Houston) Lake was born on October 21, 1938 to William R. and Edna E. (Bonner) Houston in rural LeRoy, KS. She was the third of five girls, Marcella, Patsy, Judy, and Billie. She attended Plank grade school and graduated from LeRoy High School in 1956. She received a scholarship from Chanute Jr. College. In the morning she attended classes, then worked at the city clerk’s office in the afternoon. In 1958 she graduated with an Associate of Arts degree in Elementary Education. She acquired an elementary provisional teaching certificate the summer after she graduated and was hired at Strawn school to teach 5th through 8th grades during the 1958-1959 school year. She also taught music to all eight grades. She dated her future husband Arthur that year, which made for a very busy first year. Their date sometimes included grading papers. They were engaged on February 2nd and married on June 1, 1959 at her parents’ home southeast of LeRoy, beginning 65 years of love as they built their family and farm together.

Barbara took a break from teaching to raise their four children, but the teacher and nurturer in her never did. She continued teaching their children and was an equal partner to Arthur in their farming operation. She hauled grain to town, brought food to the field, kept the books, ran countless errands, obtained machine parts, and many times helped pull Arthur out of the mud. She raised large gardens, canned produce, and cooked countless meals, being an excellent cook and baker. She sewed her family’s clothes, grew flowers, doctored countless animals back to health, played baseball with her children, and entertained the family with her piano playing. Arthur especially loved to hear her play. They enjoyed everything together. Every August before school started, they would load the camper that Arthur built and head west to enjoy the scenery and historic sites. They created many happy memories for their children, while teaching them to be resilient and to never give up. She also had a special ability to know things before they happened.

In 1982 when her youngest son started Kindergarten, Barbara acquired a K-9 substitute teaching certificate and taught for 6 years in LeRoy, Westphalia, Garnett, Greely, and Burlington schools. In 1988 she worked as a teacher’s aid at Westphalia Elementary. A new program was started in the USD 245 school district and she worked for 11 years as an Early Childhood Para Professional in the Early Childhood Handicapped Preschool program. She then continued working as a Special Education Para Educator at Southern Coffey County Middle School and retired from teaching in 2004.

Barbara and Arthur spent their retirement years farming and enjoying their family. She and Arthur were a perfect match and weathered many storms together. They enjoyed meeting new people and sharing common interests as members of the East Central Model T Club. They enjoyed meeting new friends at the Chase County Sr. Center and once again, Arthur enjoyed listening to Barbara play the piano. She also loved playing bingo, riding the Sr

Center bus, reading Guideposts, and doing word finds. Barbara joined the Flint Hills Antique Power Association tractor club and enjoyed attending meetings and events. She also enjoyed attending the Flint Hills Community Church, as she had become a believer at an early age having witnessed God in a distant hedge row at her father’s farm. Her faith in God and strong will to never give up continued in her spirit to the very end.

Barbara passed away on January 9, 2026 at 2:28 pm at Select Specialty Hospital in Kansas City, KS with her family at her side. She was proceeded in death by her husband Arthur, two infant sons Mark Matthew and Heath Alan Lake, her parents William and Edna Houston, her four sisters and their spouses, Marcella (Dee) Trostle, Patsy (Larry) Cann, Judith (Lester) Petty, and Billie (Neil) Gildart, a nephew Shannon Petty, and niece Desarae Dawn (Cann) Shibler.

She leaves behind their children Timothy (Pam) Lake of Stillman Valley, IL, Christopher (Melinda) Lake of Milton, KS, daughter Heather (Mack) Brown of Cottonwood Falls, KS, and son Jed Lake of Westphalia, KS, grandsons Christopher A. Lake Jr, Jacob Lake, and Joshua Lake, great-grandchildren Ariana and Bryan Lake, and many other nieces and nephews. She was well loved by her family and friends and will be missed.

Memorial contributions may be made to the USD 245 Preschool program in LeRoy, Kansas.