Jean Marie Barlau

Jean Marie Barlau first received life in Racine, Wisconsin on October 28, 1942, as the eldest daughter of Herbert and Vivian Von Haden, both of whom were teachers.
In 1946, after having earned a PhD in education, Herbert moved the family down to Oxford, Ohio where he had joined the faculty of Miami University. In 1961, Jean Marie graduated from Talawanda High School in Oxford, and then enrolled at Wittenberg, University in Springfield, Ohio. From there, she received a Bachelor of Education degree in 1965 and became a teacher also.
That same year she married Larry King, a recent graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy. They had met when Jean Marie and a friend visited the Naval Academy a year or two earlier at the invitation of a cousin of hers there. Jean Marie followed her new husband, Larry King, as he continued his training to become a pilot on an aircraft carrier. They spent time in Texas, Alabama, Florida, and Virginia. Their son, Brian, was born on April 7, 1967 while they lived in Jacksonville, Florida. Jean Marie and some other navy wives also lived for a time in Spain and Italy when Larry's aircraft carrier was in the Mediterranean. When Larry's naval duty ended, he chose to study at the University of Florida in Gainesville to become a pediatrician. While there, Jean Marie helped to support the family by teaching Social Studies at a middle school at High Springs, Florida, some 20 miles northwest of Gainesville. In 1975, Jean Marie was chosen there as Teacher of the Year for Alachua County, Florida. Her experience was unique, serving as one of four teachers in the same room with some 130 students.
When Larry completed his studies to be a pediatrician, he secured a position in Loveland, and they moved here in 1978, and bought a home on the east shore of Silver Lake. But in 1983, Larry left Jean Marie and divorced from her in 1984.
Meanwhile, Jean Marie had become an active member of Trinity Lutheran Church in Loveland and had also been elected to the Board of Directors of the Rocky Mountain Synod of the Lutheran Church in America.
In 1987, Jean Marie happened to read a brief article in a monthly publication called the Rocky Mountain Lutheran. It told of a Martin Barlau who had just accepted the position of Missions Executive for the Rocky Mountain District of the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod. Martin had lost his wife in 1981 to a hit-and-run driver on Federal Boulevard in Denver. Jean Marie was familiar with the work of a Missions Executive from her position on the Rocky Mt. Synod Board of Directors, and she was moved to write Martin a letter to congratulate him on his new position, and wish Him God's blessing. Martin phoned Jean Marie to thank her for the letter, and she invited him to dinner. They set it up, and it became the start of a growing relationship that culminated in their marriage on September 17, 1988. Jean Marie thus became a partner with Martin in his work as Missions Executive, responsible for the guidance and support of new church starts in Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, and El Paso, TX until he reached retirement age in 2000.
At that point, Martin was asked to become the first Executive Director for a new organization known as the Open Arms Institute. Open Arms was begun to share the concept of church planting with Christian childcare ministry throughout the entire Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod. Martin and Jean Marie spent the next 13 years traveling together throughout the entire United States to share and guide that concept. From Fairbanks, Alaska to Ft. Myers, Florida, they encouraged and assisted Lutheran churches and other Districts with the program.
Martin finally retired fully on May 31, 2013, He and Jean Marie were enjoying life together on Silver Lake in Loveland since then, along with frequent travel in the foothills and the Rockies above Loveland They also spent time with Jean Marie's son, Brian, and with Martin's son John and his wife Linda, who live on the prairie 30 miles east of Denver, and with Martin's daughter Sandra Mullins. Sandy and her husband Joe Mullins live just north of Erie, CO. Martin's youngest son, James, lives in Spokane with his wife Ronna, so the contact with them has been less frequent.
In 2019, Jean Marie suffered a minor stroke. She lost her short-term memory, but it did not seriously affect their life together. At times, in fact, it proved a blessing because, if Martin did something stupid, Jean Marie could not remember it. But on July 18 of this year, Jean Marie suffered a fall in the garage of their home. Martin had her taken to McKee Hospital where they discovered that she had suffered a broken left hip and several rib fractures. After repair of the hip, Jean Marie was transferred to North Shore Health and Rehab Center for several weeks. Then Martin moved her to Seven Lakes Memory Care, for help with a growing dementia. After a time at Seven Lakes, Jean Marie developed a wound on her right hip, and was taken back to McKee for help with the healing. From there she was moved to Pathways Hospice in south Fort Collins. And it was from Pathways that she was taken to join her Lord Jesus in heaven at about 1:30 a.m. on August 17.
Jean Marie is survived by her husband, Martin and his three children, also by her son, Brian, and by her sister, Carol, living in California.
A service of remembrance will be held at Redeemer Lutheran Church – Fort Collins on Friday, August 23, at 11 a.m. with a luncheon to follow. Jean Marie will be buried at Oak Grove Cemetery in Tomah, Wisconsin beside her father and mother at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 28. Viewing will be available at Sonnenburg Family Funeral Home, 801 E. Monowau St. in Tomah, Wisconsin, beginning at noon that day.