Earl T. Barks

Earl T. "Bing" Barks, a lifelong farmer, public servant, pastor, and community leader of Olive Township in Clinton County, Michigan, died peacefully at home on March 11, 2026. Known to nearly everyone simply as "Bing", a nickname earned from childhood, he spent his life rooted in the land, his family, and his faith.

Born on August 27, 1933, on the family farm in Olive Township, Bing was the son of Lyle and Elsa Barks. Bing grew up on the farm his father purchased in 1929 during the Great Depression. From a young age, he took on major responsibilities, effectively running the farm while still in high school. He attended the rural Little Olive School and later St. Johns High School, often leaving early to hitchhike home and tend to farm work. Farming was always his true calling, and by his mid-teens he was already managing crops and livestock.

In 1954 he married Mary Wendt, beginning a partnership that would span over seven decades. Together they raised three sons and built both a family and a farming operation that expanded steadily over the years. Bing increased the farm's size through strategic land purchases and hard work, eventually helping grow the family holdings to roughly 5,000 acres in the region. Along the way he raised cattle, ran a large hog operation, and became known as a savvy and determined farmer.

Bing also demonstrated an entrepreneurial spirit. In 1956 he built the DeWitt Grain elevator after being encouraged-and financed-by a grain elevator operator who believed in him. Though he later sold the elevator, it remained a notable part of the local agricultural landscape for years.

Beyond farming, Bing devoted an extraordinary amount of time to public service. After being encouraged by neighbors to run for township supervisor, he won the election and went on to serve Olive Township for an astonishing 54 years. During his tenure he focused on practical improvements, most notably working to upgrade local infrastructure. Under his leadership, more than 30 miles of township roads were paved, and the township acquired and established the current town hall. His reputation rested on fairness, common sense, and a deep commitment to serving the community.

Faith was another cornerstone of Bing's life. Alongside Mary, he helped establish and build the Church of Christ Restoration in St. Johns, even personally leading efforts to construct the building in just six weeks. Later he helped purchase and expand Church of Christ Restoration on Lansing Street in St. Johns and served as pastor for many years. His ministry emphasized community, service, and a belief that God guided many of the decisions in his life.

Throughout his long life, Bing remained closely tied to the land and the people around him. He witnessed enormous changes in farming, transportation, and rural life-from the days of icehouses and rural one-room schools to modern agriculture and expanding communities. Yet he maintained the same practical outlook and humor that defined him from the beginning.

In his later years he gradually stepped back from daily farming, passing responsibilities to the next generation while remaining active in township affairs and church life. His legacy lives on through his wife Mary, their children and grandchildren, and the land and community he helped shape.

Bing Barks will be remembered as a hardworking farmer, devoted husband and father, faithful pastor, and one of the most influential local leaders in the history of Olive Township. His life reflected a simple philosophy: work hard, treat people fairly, trust in faith, and leave things better than you found them.

In addition to Mary, his beloved wife of over seventy-one years, he leaves his sons, Earl "Tuff" (Kathy) Barks, Eric (Margaret) Barks, and Erron "Yogi" (Marie) Barks; grandchildren, Amber (Jason) Denovich, Jason (Sarah) Barks, Alissa (Erik) Hall, RaeAnn (Lucus) Olger, Nick "Zippy" Barks (Debbie DeFrenn; great grandchildren, Owen, Axel, and Thea Denovich, Declan Hall, and a great granddaughter, Daisy Jane on the way. He was preceded in death by a granddaughter, Mindy Spilling, and his sister, Edna Harrison.

Visitation will be held on Sunday, March 15, 2026, from 1PM to 5PM, at McGeehan Funeral Home, Keck-Coleman Chapel, 1500 Waterford Pkwy, St. Johns.

A Funeral Service will be held on Monday, March 16, 2026, 11AM at McGeehan Funeral Home, Keck-Coleman Chapel, 1500 Waterford Parkway, St. Johns, with visitation beginning at 10AM. Priest Jason Denovich officiating. Burial South Bingham Cemetery. A luncheon will follow.

Memorial contributions may be made in his name to Church of Christ Restoration, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, or to FFA at St. Johns High School (checks to SJPS FFA-Barks, 501 W. Sickles, St. Johns, MI 48879.

For further information, phone McGeehan Funeral Home at 989-224-4422