J. Barden

J. Vincent "Vince" Barden, age 89 of Waseca, died on Sunday, July 20, 2008 at Colony Court in Waseca.             Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Saturday, July 26th at 11:00 a.m. at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Waseca with Fr. Martin Schaefer officiating.  Interment will be in the St. Mary Cemetery, Waseca County.  Visitation will be held on Friday from 4 to 8 p.m. at McRaith Funeral Home in Waseca, and will continue on Saturday morning for one hour prior to services, at church.  There will be a 7:00 p.m. parish prayer service Friday evening at the funeral home.  Memorials preferred to St. Mary Cemetery or donor's choice. John Vincent was born on May 6, 1919 in St. Mary Township, Waseca County, Minnesota to Ambrose and Margaret (Bruce) Barden.  Vince was baptized, and attended the old St. Mary Catholic Church in Waseca County.  He later attended the Waseca County Dist. #15 country school, and in 1936 graduated from Sacred Hearth High School.  Vince went on to attend St. Thomas College and Dunwoody Institute in the Twin Cities. He was employed in Minneapolis when he was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1941.  His 43rd Engineering Unit served in the South Pacific, Australia and New Guinea during WWII.  Upon his honorable discharge in 1943 he returned to his employment in Minneapolis, and farmed with his father in St. Mary Township.  On August 2, 1949 Vince was united in marriage to Gladys Gehring of Waseca.  They lived in Waseca until his retirement from the U.S. Postal Service as a rural carrier on RR #3.  Vince and Gladys lived in Colorado for 20 years before returning to Waseca in 1994.  He was a life member and past commander of V.F.W Post #1642 in Waseca, and a longtime member of Sacred Heart Church.  He is survived by his wife Gladys, and his children Greg (Cindy) Barden of Waseca,  Phil (Monica) Barden of Waseca, and Rosemary ( Ben) Ankrum of Apple Valley, CA; by his 8 grandchildren and 8 great grandchildren; by his three sisters Mary Cleary of Rochester, Martha Myszka of St. Paul and Peg Ward of Minnetonka; by his sisters-in-law Mary Barden of Rochester, Elaine Kramer and Helen Weckwerth of Waseca, Phyllis (Milton) Nelson of New Richland and Gloria Possehl of Waseca. He was preceded in death by his parents, and his two brothers Richard in 1948 and Jerry in 1997; by brothers-in-law Ray Ward, Francis Kramer, Jack Cleary, Ivan Weckwerth, and Walter Possehl. Casketbearers are his grandchildren; Aaron Ankrum, Josh Ankrum, Chris Ankrum, Sarah Schuler, Derek Barden, Chelsey Barden, Joe Barden, and Katie Barden. Honorary casketbearers are:  Kelly Flattum, Roger Paczkowski, Steve Barden, Ron Kramer, Mary Joe Smith, and Bob Byron.