In Memoriam: Rev. Dr. John D. Barklind

Retired Minister of Word and Sacrament and member of the Presbytery of Arkansas, Rev. Dr. John Barklind died at his home on Friday, October 13. 

After graduating from Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, John was ordained in 1969 as pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Fullerton, NE. In the 1970’s and 80’s John served at two other churches in Nebraska at Fairbury and Holdredge and while serving at Holdredge John earned his Doctorate of Ministry degree at San Francisco Theological Seminary. 

In 1986 John accepted the call to become pastor of Central Presbyterian Church in Fort Smith, AR. In 1994 John moved to become pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Independence, MO until 2002 when he became pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Sun City, AZ. John retired in Grand Canyon Presbytery in 2009. John served as an Interim pastor in Washington, MO in 2010 and 2011  before moving to Arkansas in 2012 and transferring his membership from Giddings-Lovejoy Presbytery to the Presbytery of Arkansas. Most recently, John served the First Presbyterian Church in Beebe, preaching once a month and moderating the session. 

John is survived by his wife of 57 years, Rosemary, three daughters and six grand-children. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, October 21 at 11:00 am at Second Presbyterian Church in Little Rock. The obituary is printed below. Thanks be to God for the life and ministry of Rev. Dr. John Barklind.  

The Rev. Dr. John D. Barklind, 80, passed away on October 13, 2023, peacefully at home in Maumelle, AR. He was born and raised in St. Paul, MN, where he attended Johnson High School in 1961. He attended the University of Minnesota and went on to graduate from Rocky Mountain College in Billings, MT, in 1966. He served as President of the student body at Rocky Mountain College.

He attended Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY, where he received his Master of Divinity degree. He went on to get his Doctor of Theology at San Francisco Theological Seminary in 1983. His thesis was "Children at Worship in the Presbyterian Church." He served in Presbyterian churches in Kentucky, Indiana, Nebraska, Arkansas, Missouri, and Arizona.

John married Rosemary Zuroff from Richey, MT, in 1966. They celebrated their 57th wedding anniversary on June 4, 2023. John and Rosemary have three daughters, Sharla (Chad) Artz of Alexandria, VA, Stacy Deutschmann of Conway, AR, and Tracy (Jay) Howell of Conway, AR. He has six grandchildren, Grace and Carter Artz, Chaise and Charlotte Deutschmann, and Payton and Paxton Howell. He is also survived by his brother-in-law Ira A. Zuroff and wife Wanda and their family, and by brother-in-law Ernest Fischer all of Richey, MT.

He is preceded in death by his parents Albert and Bonnie Barklind and infant brother Douglas Barklind all of St. Paul, MN, and his siter-in-law Sylvia Zuroff Fischer of Richey, MT.

A visitation will be held at Ruebel Funeral Home on Friday, October 20, 2023, from 4 to 6 p.m. Burial will be Saturday, October 21, 2023, at 9:30 in the morning at Riverwood Memorial Gardens in Maumelle. The funeral will be held later that morning at 11:00 a.m. at Second Presbyterian Church, Little Rock, AR. Arrangements are under the direction of RuebelFuneralHome.com