Dorothy Elizabeth Barksdale

A celebration of life for Dorothy Elizabeth Barksdale, 87, a Carson City resident for the past 27 years, will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at the First United Methodist Church.

Visitation will be from 5-9 p.m. Friday at Walton's Chapel of the Valley.

Mrs. Barksdale died Nov. 3, 2004, at Carson-Tahoe Hospital. She was born April 20, 1917, in Burley, Idaho, to John Thomas and Isabelle Powers Burke, a descendant of an early Virginia City family.

She married Perry Alonzo Barksdale in 1934.

She traveled extensively and lived in India, Indonesia, Australia, New Guinea, Tasmania, South Africa, Central and South America and the Middle East. She rafted down the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon at the age of 70. She was a member of the First United Methodist Church, Eastern Star, Daughters of the Nile, an election poll worker for many years and a member of the Carson City Leisure Club.

She enjoyed bowling, curling, bridge club, golfing, exercising, walking and sports, especially baseball. She was a great fan of the Diamondbacks and the A's. She was a proud Republican and insisted she vote in the past election.

She was preceded in death by her husband; son, Dr. John Thomas Barksdale; brothers Ernest Burke and John Burke; and sister, Dr. Genevra Burke.

Among her survivors are her son and daughter-in-law, Robert Perry and Shirley of Lafayette, Calif.; daughter and son-in-law, Donna and Doug Simonson of Fremont, Neb.; brother and sister-in-law Donald and Winnie Burke of Seattle; daughter-in-law Linda Barksdale Gallinatti of Tacoma, Wash.; grandchildren John and Jennifer Barksdale Waite, John and Roberta Barksdale Kelapire, Stephanie Barksdale, Brian Barksdale, Elizabeth Barksdale, Brad Barksdale, Kevin Simonson, Mark and Anna Simonson and Kristine Simonson; and 10 great-grandchildren.

A graveside service and burial will be at Oakview Cemetery in Lafayette.