Barbara Woelk

1948 - 2025

Barbara Woelk passed away August 10 in Austin, Texas. She was born on November 22, 1948 in Hartselle, Alabama. She was the daughter of Albert Fowler and Ruth Fowler Stockton of Hutchinson, Kansas and the granddaughter of Elihu Johnson and Maye Johnson of Meers, Oklahoma who preceded her in death. She is survived by her husband, Darrell Woelk; son Matthew Woelk; sisters Kim Carraway and Anita Schwarzkopf; and brother Kenneth Fowler.
Barbara grew up in Hutchinson, Kansas where she met and married her high school sweetheart, Darrell Woelk. They have been married for 56 years. She graduated from the University of Kansas with a Bachelor Degree in Sociology and from Texas State University with a Master Degree in Healthcare Administration.
Barbara was a member of the Kiowa Tribe and was active in the American Indian community in Wichita, Kansas and Austin, Texas. Her mother was raised in southwestern Oklahoma and Barbara always loved returning to Oklahoma to visit with family there. She helped form the Mid-American All-Indian Center in Wichita in 1969 and was an employee and docent there for many years. She moved to Austin with her husband in 1985. There she became involved in the American Indian community and helped start the Great Promise for American Indians organization and the Austin Powwow over 25 years ago.
She was an active member of the Austin Woman's Club for many years. She attended the weekly luncheon meetings and she was a speaker at some of their meetings about American Indian flat painters, American Indian cradleboards, American Indian storytellers and American Indians in the military. Her talks included stories about the role of her family in American Indian history in Oklahoma.
Barbara loved animals, especially horses and dogs. She owned a horse wherever she lived and she was happiest when she was able to spend time with them. Barbara and Darrell owned four dogs throughout their marriage and each one was considered part of the family.