TIPTON – Barbara Ann (Arens) Mickdiedon November 16, 2019 in Overland Park, Kansas in her sleep after a few months of declining health.
She was was born July 26, 1935 in Hoisington, Kansas, the fourth of eleven children, to Harold and Susanna (Winkel) Arens. Her father was born in Tipton and her mother in Glen Elder. During her childhood, the familylived in various communities in Kansas and in Marysville, California, wherever Barbara's father worked in theconstruction industry.
Barbara waspreceded in death by Ardwin, her husband of 54 years; parents Harold and Susanna Arens; brothers Robert, Harold Jr., and William "Bill"; and sisters Mary and Tracy.
Barbara graduated from St. John’s Catholic High School in Beloit, a member of the Class of 1953.
On May 11, 1957, Barbara married Ardwin "Ardie" Mick (TCHS 53) at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Beloit. They made their home in Tipton, where Ardie both farmed and worked at Kent Manufacturing. In the home they built on Main Street, they raised 4 children and loved for their grandchildren to spend summer vacations.
In theearly 1970's,Barbara worked at Hake Hardware in Tipton as a bookkeeper. She also did a lot of sewing for many years, enjoying designing some of her clothes. Additionally, gardening, embroidery and interior design were other creative talents she shared with and passed on to family members. A very special and fond memory for Barbara was teaching religion to one of the grade school classes for a couple of years.
Then in the late 1970's, with a love for the arts, she began painting. Her subjects were greatly inspired by the prairie landscape, including windmills, post rock, farm scenes, and birds, as well as her travels to the American Southwest and Europe, and her love for flowers. For a time, she exhibited and sold her acrylic paintings at various fairs and shows. One of her last paintings, a large Kansas landscape, Barbara created for the Tipton Museum, where it can be viewed today.
Barbara was amember of the St. Ann's Altar Society, regularly helping with funeral dinners and other events, as well as once being the Altar Society’s President.
After a trip to Schleidweiler, Germany in 1989, where both the Mick and Arens families originally emigrated from in 1877, Barbara became interested in genealogy. She built a large computer-based family tree that includes many families from the Tipton area. The information in the database goes back in time to the late 1600's in Europe.
Barbara will be greatly missed and is survived by her son Perry and wife Elisabeth of Newberg, Oregon, daughter Dianne Toplikar and husband John of Olathe, Kansas, son Damon of Hinesville, Georgia, and son Eric of Russell, Kansas; granddaughter Saskia Mick and husband Sanjay D'Mello of San Jose, California, grandson Patrick Mick of Beaverton, Oregon, and grandson John Toplikar of Olathe, Kansas. She is also survived by her siblingsLawrence "Larry" of Malolos, Phillipines, Marjorie Eilert of Topeka, Kansas, Patricia Tridle of Shawnee, Kansas, Susanne Valle of Topeka, Kansas, and Carolyn Stratton of Dallas, Texas.
Funeral services were held at the St. Boniface Catholic Church in Tipton on Saturday, November 23, 2019 with Father Daryl Olmstead officiating. Organist was Michelle Murrow. Andy Eilert was song leader and soloist. John M. Toplikar was Lector. Serving as Pallbearers were John P.Toplikar, Patrick Mick, Saskia Mick, Sanjay D’Mello, Tony Eilert, and Craig Gasper. Her final resting place is in the St. Boniface cemetery next to husband Ardie.
Any memorial contributions may be made to the Tipton Catholic High School Endowment Fund or the Sisters of St. Joseph, Concordia in care of Domoney Funeral Home, P.O. Box 127 Downs, KS 67437.
