Barbara M. Odenkirk

Barbara Mary (nee Baier) Odenkirk, 85, died peacefully in her home at Villa St. Benedict in Lisle, Illinois. She was born September 27, 1936 in Chicago, Illinois, the first of two daughters to William (Bill) Clarence Baier and Theresa (nee McCormick) Baier. Barbara's life was defined by three things; being an observant Catholic, being a mother to seven kids, and making funny asides all day long. Barbara barely survived a bout of polio at the age of eight that put her in a coma state for three days and two nights and she credited the nuns from the nearby convent and their 24-hour prayer vigil for her survival. Her father, Bill, was a kind and serious man who attended mass daily, and his steadfast commitment to the Catholic Church informed her own strong allegiance. Her mother, Theresa, was thoughtful, kind, and sweet, and her childhood, other than the polio, was full of good memories and love. Barbara worked briefly as a secretary, but once she met Walter Harry Odenkirk through a church group that their mothers were part of, they soon married and she quickly got to work in her true and greatest profession – being a mother. They had their first child, Steve, on September 28, 1961, and it was off to the races! Over the next fifteen years, Barbara and Wally made six other kids. As great and committed as Barbara was as a mother, Walter was her polar opposite, and never seemed fully committed to the enterprise of having and raising a passel of antecedents. Barbara happily took up his slack. There were challenging days, for sure. She famously survived a day where she did fifteen loads of laundry in total. While the finances were wobbly, she almost never was. The kids, in this order; Steve, Bob, Bill, Maria, Phil, Lori, and Sue, were well fed (on powdered milk and giant trays of burritos), well clothed (when they remembered to put clothes on), and happy nearly all the time. The house at 1009 Heatherton Drive was full of activity, laughter, goofing around, racing around, a dog (Lady), and Cat (Whitney and others), constant coming and going, and nobody slacked on their chores, either. Barbara delighted in her kids and kept the trains running on time through these busy, busy, years. It's a wonder and a mystery to imagine how she did it all. She was in her glory in these years and she knew it and was thankful for it. Thanks to Barbara's father's financial support, Barbara was able to raise her brood in beautiful, safe, Naperville, Illinois – where the kids played in the forest, threw rocks at each other from work sites, took part in little league and youth soccer, and got decent enough educations to make something of themselves. Interestingly, Barbara didn't think that highly of college, and didn't care much what her kids did once they were adults – she just wanted them to be good people and after that, it was all cake. Speaking of cake, she made every kid whatever kind of cake they wanted for their birthday, and she made good cakes, too. One time Maria (8 at the time) put her hand in Bill's (10) chocolate cherry cake frosting because she was mad (because Mom ruined a chocolate cake by putting cherries in it), but this isn't the place to settle scores. Here's what you need to know, Mom laughed and laughed at shenanigans and her kids provided her with a non-stop show. Barbara survived a life-threatening bout of pneumonia in 1978 just before the birth of Sue, her seventh child, and that was a scary time for her and all the kids. In times like this we know she prayed with deep and total devotion to God and Jesus and The Virgin Mary and saints too numerous to mention, and she credits her faith with carrying her through these very genuinely lonely and frightening chapters. Above all, Barbara was humble – and always leavened her more intense beliefs with a dose of practicality. She was amazed at what her children did, and they all surprised her with their achievements and the good work they've made of their lives. In her final days every child had the opportunity to tell her that she was the reason why, that her voice inside them was the ethical compass that informed their values and work in this world, and she had to know that was true and she was justifiably proud of each of them, and hopefully, of herself and how she lived this life. And the one last thing to note was her good humor which permeated every moment of her day. She laughed a lot, always at some human foible or shortcoming and always in a good and generous spirit. We, her kids, carry her caring and bemused point of view with us always. She is survived by her beloved sister, Mary Rutsche, her seven children, and fifteen grandchildren, and countless other friends named Mary. Visitation will be held on Wednesday, December 1, 2021 from 2:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. at Beidelman-Kunsch Funeral Homes & Crematory, 516 S. Washington St., Naperville, IL. A Mass of Christian Burial will be Thursday, December 2, 2021 at 11:00 a.m. at Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church 36 N. Ellsworth St., Naperville, IL. Interment Saints Peter and Paul Cemetery in Naperville, IL. In lieu of flowers donations can be made to Catholic Charities of Joliet. Info: 630-355-0264 or www.beidelmankunschfh.com