Obituary for Bernard R. "Barney" Whalen
Barney was born Raymond Rauenbeuhlar in De Moines, Iowa on July 14, 1935. He was immediately placed in an orphanage. At age 4, Martin and Rhoda Whalen adopted him and renamed him Bernard R. Whalen. He joined their other adopted son, Robert, and their family became four.
At age 5, on his first day of school, Barney arrived home to find his dad, Martin, dying of pneumonia. Shortly thereafter, his mother moved him and his brother to Missoula, Montana to live with her sister Mae and her husband, Lee.
Just one month later, the boys’ mother, Rhoda, died of cancer, leaving the boys orphaned for a second time.
Mae and Lee continued to raise the boys and just six months later, Uncle Lee died, leaving Mae to raise the boys on her own. She raised them to adulthood.
As a young boy, Barney accepted the Lord as his Savior in a Bible Club led by two missionaries who had moved to Montana.
Shortly after graduating from high school, Barney joined the US Army and served two years as an Ammo Storage Specialist, and he was honorably discharged in August of 1957.
After his discharge from the Army, he moved to Norristown, PA, in search of employment. He was hired by Genuardi’s Super Markets where he worked for 35 years before retiring.
One evening in the Spring of 1959, he attended Bible Testimony Church where he met his future wife, Gail. They were married in May of 1962, and over the next few years, God blessed them with a family of four children… Kerri Lynn, Derek Dale, Taraleigh Elizabeth, and Deren Ray.
In his goodness, the Lord gave Barney and Gail over 60 years together until he welcomed Barney to his new home ~~ Heaven!
All are invited to a Celebration of Barney’s Life on Saturday, at 10 AM, September 3, 2022, at the Upper Perkiomen Community Church, 258 Main St, East Greenville, PA 18041.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in his memory to Upper Perkiomen Community Church, where Barney worshiped and served the last twelve years of his life.
Visit his “Book of Memories” at falkfuneralhomes.com. The family would be honored if you would share a memory and / or a photo by clicking the tabs "Memory Wall" and "Photos & Videos" in his "Book of Memories".
At age 5, on his first day of school, Barney arrived home to find his dad, Martin, dying of pneumonia. Shortly thereafter, his mother moved him and his brother to Missoula, Montana to live with her sister Mae and her husband, Lee.
Just one month later, the boys’ mother, Rhoda, died of cancer, leaving the boys orphaned for a second time.
Mae and Lee continued to raise the boys and just six months later, Uncle Lee died, leaving Mae to raise the boys on her own. She raised them to adulthood.
As a young boy, Barney accepted the Lord as his Savior in a Bible Club led by two missionaries who had moved to Montana.
Shortly after graduating from high school, Barney joined the US Army and served two years as an Ammo Storage Specialist, and he was honorably discharged in August of 1957.
After his discharge from the Army, he moved to Norristown, PA, in search of employment. He was hired by Genuardi’s Super Markets where he worked for 35 years before retiring.
One evening in the Spring of 1959, he attended Bible Testimony Church where he met his future wife, Gail. They were married in May of 1962, and over the next few years, God blessed them with a family of four children… Kerri Lynn, Derek Dale, Taraleigh Elizabeth, and Deren Ray.
In his goodness, the Lord gave Barney and Gail over 60 years together until he welcomed Barney to his new home ~~ Heaven!
All are invited to a Celebration of Barney’s Life on Saturday, at 10 AM, September 3, 2022, at the Upper Perkiomen Community Church, 258 Main St, East Greenville, PA 18041.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in his memory to Upper Perkiomen Community Church, where Barney worshiped and served the last twelve years of his life.
Visit his “Book of Memories” at falkfuneralhomes.com. The family would be honored if you would share a memory and / or a photo by clicking the tabs "Memory Wall" and "Photos & Videos" in his "Book of Memories".