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Audrey Louise was born on May 25, 1956 in Port Angeles, Washington, to
Harvey and Agnes Mesford. She grew up in Lynnwood, Washington, at the
time a small suburb of Seattle. There were still undeveloped patches of
woods in her neighborhood and she spent much of her youth playing in
those woods with the neighbor children. There were plenty of slugs and
bugs and birds and, yes, snakes.
After graduating from Lynnwood High School she attended the University
of Washington where she double majored in Anthropology and Museum
Studies. While at the UW she single-handedly saved the remains of a locally
loved gorilla named Bobo. Bobo, a main feature of the Woodland Park Zoo,
had died and his body had been given to the Burke Museum. One weekend
there was a power outage at the museum that affected the freezer containing
Bobo’s remains. The resulting mess was deemed unsalvageable as no
one could stand the smell. But Audrey refused to allow Bobo to simply be
thrown away. She cleaned the entire carcass herself and Bobo’s skeleton is
now one of the main displays at the Seattle Museum of History and Industry.
In 1981, Audrey married Peter Barnhart. A few years later Audrey accepted
a transfer to a National Park Service job in Scottsbluff, Nebraska.
That is where their son, David, was born.
In 1991 they moved to Williston, ND, where Audrey lived until her death.
In 2007 she earned her Master’s in Environmental Education, driving
across the state on a routine basis, while working full time and parenting
full time.
The bulk of her career was spent at Fort Union Trading Post where she
worked as the museum curator. In that role she cataloged and preserved
local artifacts and specimens. But she also volunteered her time teaching
youth groups, and anyone who would listen, about the wonders of God’s
creation.
It was in 1983 that Audrey made the most important decision of her life
and said ‘yes’ to the Truth, Jesus Christ, for whom she had sought all her life.
In her words:
“I know no other power that can fill me with peace and joy during
the toughest of trials, help me totally forgive anyone who has hurt
me deeply, and help me see through eyes of love. All because He’s in
me now and is always available to help me. It’s a pretty simple conversation
to engage in, but if you do it sincerely, I guarantee it will be
the most valuable conversation you’ll ever have.”
Audrey is survived by her son, David; her friend, Peter Barnhart; her
mother, Agnes Mesford; and her four brothers, Mike Mesford and his wife
Jackie Ainsworth, David Mesford, Eric Mesford and Ken Mesford; her nieces,
Leah Mesford, Kayla Kreins and Shelby Mesford; and nephews Leland Mesford,
Sean Mesford and Joseph Mesford.
In Memory Of
Audrey Barnhart
May 25, 1956 ~ June 14, 2013

Psalm 19: 1-2,4
1 The heavens declare the glory of God;
And the firmament shows His handiwork.
2 Day unto day utters speech,
And night unto night reveals knowledge..
4 Their line has gone out through all the earth,
And their words to the end of the world.
Psalm 24: 1-2
1 The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness,
The world and those who dwell therein.
2 For He has founded it upon the seas,
And established it upon the waters.
In Memory Of
Audrey Barnhart
Date And Place Of Birth
May 25, 1956
Port Angeles, Washington
Date And Place of Death
June 14, 2013
Williston, North Dakota
Funeral Service
11:00 AM, Thursday, June 20, 2013
New Hope Wesleyan Church
Williston, North Dakota
Officiating
Pastor Chris Swarthout
Honorary Casketbearers
All of Audrey’s Former & Present Teens
That Gave Her So Much Joy,
& For Being A Part Of Their Lives
You may share your remembrances and condolences
with the family at the Fulkerson Funeral Home website
www.fulkersons.com