Juanita Nita Mae Barks O’Rourke

Published 4:00 am Wednesday, February 4, 2009

August 22, 1933 – Jan. 27 2009

Juanita M. ”Nita” O’Rourke, 75, from Culver, died January 27, 2009 at her home after a courageous battle with cancer. No services will be held at her request.

Nita was born August 22, 1933 in Lyons, Kansas, a daughter of Joseph and Mae Barks. She was raised and educated in Arizona.

She married Bernard F. ”Barney” O’Rourke, November 24, 1950, in Phoenix, Arizona. Barney’s service in the U.S. Navy required them to move frequently. They lived in San Diego, CA; various cities in northern Virginia; Fall River, MA; and Valparaiso, Chile. Upon his retirement in 1972, they moved to a ranch at Kimberly, Oregon. Nita lived in the Redmond/Culver area for the past ten years.

She enjoyed dancing and big band music, word puzzles and the game of scrabble. She was a wonderful mother who was very active in the lives of her six children. She adored her grandchildren and cherished the time she spent with them.

Survivors include her children and their spouses: Berney and Donna O’Rourke; Mike O’Rourke; Pat and Chris O’Rourke; Angel and Max Mills; Sheri and Jim Stirewalt; Kelly and Scott Gross; her brother, Marion Douglas Barks; sixteen grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

Redmond Memorial Chapel in charge of arrangments. www.redmondmemorialchapel.com