On Monday, September 14, 2026, Jerlene transitioned from labor to reward surrounded by her children and grandchildren at St. Catherines in Kenosha, WI. Jerlene was born on March 19, 1939 in Oxford, MS. to Ace & Odessa Ola Mae Jackson. After high school she attended & graduated from Alcorn State University, an HBCU in Lorman, Mississippi, where she earned a B.S. in Chemistry. She came to Wisconsin for work and lived with her aunt Artelia Collins and while living there she met the love of her life, Nathaniel M. Barker, Jr. who just happened to live next door. Friendship turned to love and they were married on August 1, 1964 in Racine, WI @ Wayman AME Church which started a 57-year journey of faith, love, legacy & family. From that union came 5 children.

Jerlene, affectionately called Jeri or Jelly, worked in the lab as a Medical Technologist and eventually head of the lab at Kenosha Memorial hospital for 25+ years. She was an entrepreneur at heart and while working full time and raising a family she also opened a woman’s clothing store specializing in as many tall girl items as possible because she always had trouble finding clothes being 6 ft. tall or as she would say, 5’12. Jeri was a very intelligent woman and never stopped learning. She went on to earn her BA in Business at night from UW Parkside often with her 3 young kids in tow who sat outside of her class rooms playing & patiently waiting. Jeri also studied for and achieved a Series 6 license for insurance which became her 2nd career after retirement from the hospital.

Jerlene’s 1st love was God, then her husband and family and if you knew her, you know that her love languages were service to others and cooking. She would cook for the sick & shut in but would 1st find out what food they liked and would make enough meals to last for weeks. One of her greatest joys was feeding people, any and everybody. Jerlene would call her nieces, nephews, siblings and those she loved and announce that on “this date” she was having everyone come down for dinner and all of them, with their families, would show up to fellowship and eat until their bellies were full. She could not have been happier. Jerlene was a lifetime AME & a member of Wayman AME Church where over a 50 year span she served in multiple positions such as Trustee, Steward, Finance committee, Sunday school teacher, culinary ministry, chair or co-chair of many special days, as well as serving on many committees & frequently being nominated as a delegate to the Annual & General church conferences.

You will never find a more loving, caring, giving, dependable and truly generous wife, mother, sister, auntie, grandmother or friend. She believed in the goodness of people no matter their race, religion, color or beliefs and bridging the gap with food was her Superpower. Jerlene loved children so she became a foster parent and mothered 7 kids, even adopting one, who you know as Alan. The love she had for her children was solid, but the love for those grandkids was on a different level from the 1st Renate to the last Quinton and Nate #5. She didn’t play about her family.

Jerlene was proceeded in death by her husband, Nathaniel M. Barker, Jr. & daughter Heather Barker-Jefferson. Her parents, Ace & Odessa Ola Mae Jackson, 5 siblings Albert, Boyd & Calvin Jackson, Betty Adams and Clemmie Foots.

She leaves behind to cherish her memory, children: Cathy Barker, Rev. Lori Barker, Nathaniel(Rebecca) Barker, III, & Alan Barker (friend Shannon). 9 grandchildren, Renate, Ralena, Nathaniel,IV, & Rhianna Barker, Avery Morris, MacKennzie, Alan Jovan(AJ), Sandra Jerlene and Quinton Schwartz-Barker, 1 great grandson Nathaniel, 5th. Her siblings Robert(Georgia) Jackson, Bertha Blackmon, Pauline Jackson, Lillie Jackson, Larry(Hattie) Jackson, and a huge group of nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. 

Viewing will be in Draeger-Langendorf Funeral Home on Thursday evening, September 24, 2026 from 5:00 - 7:00 pm. Viewing will continue on Friday morning, September 25th, at Wayman AME Church (424 N. Memorial Drive Racine, WI 53404) from 9:00 - 10:00 am. The Homegoing Service will follow at 10:00 am. Entombment will follow in West Lawn Memorial Park.

PLEASE SELECT THE LINK BELOW TO WATCH THE RECORDING OF JERLENE's FUNERAL SERVICE:

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/sh6svei5b5rv27at32y7s/Jerlene-J.-Barker.mp4?rlkey=wm0ddom773m3jvzda5fb9jnei&st=ga9944ba&dl=0