Know Your Neighbor in Highland: Barbara Wick, gifted organist

Sometimes people view others as having lived a charmed life, almost like a fairy-tale surrounded by success, prestige, privilege and a happily-ever-after scenario straight from a storybook.

Barb Wick, from the onset, appears to be one of those who led a sheltered life, grew up in a solid family, met her Prince Charming and had the perfect existence devoid of trauma. She has an aura reflective of elegance and class.

Barb was the eldest of five siblings born Aug. 13, 1938, in California to Henry and Betty Krausel. Her father had immigrated from Yugoslavia, now Croatia, in 1921 with his mother and three sisters and were greeted by the Statue of Liberty at Ellis Island. They settled in the St. Louis Soulard area and Henry became an aeronautical engineer.

He relocated to Santa Monica, California, and applied for a job with McDonnell Douglas Aircraft, but they were not hiring engineers so he began working in an assembly plant. He ultimately met and married Betty Shibe. Henry later attempted to work in classified secret design, but due to having been born in Yugoslavia, he was rejected.

As a little girl, Barb recalls family time in the wading pool her dad had built with a tall retaining wall and a 12-foot-high swing. She enjoyed riding her bicycle and taking piano lessons. On Aug. 14, 1945, while the family was at a beach in Santa Monica, suddenly horns began blaring and beach goers made a hasty exodus.

“We all wondered what was happening,” recalled Barb. “Then we began hearing people shouting ‘the war is over.’”

When Henry heard MDA was hiring in Missouri, he relocated his wife, and three children to St. Louis. Later the couple welcomed two more children and Barb resumed her piano studies. Barb’s parents soon realized she exhibited great promise and thought it best organ lessons be pursued.

Highland beckons for Barbara

Barb graduated from St. Joseph’s Academy and then earned her bachelor’s degree as an organist from Fontbonne University in 1960. Part of her graduation criteria was to perform a memorized recital in Fontbonne’s auditorium on a Wick’s organ, manufactured in Highland at the Wick’s Organ Company.

As was the custom, recital invitations were sent to members of WOC.

On May 1, 1960, 21-year-old Barb must have been radiant as she delivered her performance inasmuch invitee Martin Wick had been sufficiently impressed with her delivery and/or demeanor to make inquiry about her through Barb’s organ professor.

After the two were introduced, Martin invited Barb to Highland for a tour of his family’s organ business. She accepted and was later accompanied by her grandmother and a fellow student to see the Wick’s factory. They were treated to lunch and Barb was whisked away for a ride with Martin in his Corvette.

What followed was whirlwind summer of phone calls, dates and chaperoned trips. Martin was 41 years of age and Barb’s parents had a few misgivings in reference to the age difference. Their first date was dinner at St. Louis’ Clayton Inn.

When the 4th of July rolled around, Martin invited Barb to join him and some friends for a getaway at the Lake of the Ozarks. Because her parents knew the hosts and that the sleeping arrangements for ladies and men were separate, they allowed her to go. But not before her mother gave her some sage admonition: “Don’t let him see you with curlers in your hair.”

Marriage is in the air

The holiday was fabulous, filled with boating and water skiing and both knew the relationship was becoming serious. Labor Day was right around the corner and Barb was invited to go again on a brief journey to the Ozarks. But Martin had more in mind this time. As they stood on the sandy beach, he proposed. They married Thanksgiving Day Nov. 24, 1960, in St. Catherine of Sienna Church and, after a honeymoon to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, they settled in Highland.

Their first born was Kim in 1961, followed by their stair-step siblings, Mary in 1963, Scott in 1964, Mark in 1965, and Michael in 1966. When Michael was only 2 1/2, tragedy struck the idyllic family; he drowned one afternoon in the pond at their home.

When asked how they were able to cope with such a devastating accident, Barb is quick to credit God and said, “Without our faith in God we would never have been able to weather such a loss. We were finally able to find resolution and peace.”

In time, the Wicks acquired a motor home and took their children on excursions to Yellowstone, Grand Canyon and Connecticut. Once they were able to attend a Bobby Goldsboro concert. Martin enjoyed collecting and restoring antiquated automobiles. He even had a 1931 Cadillac LaSalle with a rumble seat.

In 1981, 15 years after youngest son Michael was born, they were blessed with the addition of daughter Lindy. Needless to say, Barb reveled in being a stay-at-home mom.

Martin continued to work and serve as president of WOC long after retirement age. He earned his pilots license and purchased a Twin-Engine Apache. Life was good and the Wicks were prospering.

Tragedy strikes again

Barb said Martin was always a man who had goals and knew what he wanted to do. But as the old axiom goes, into each life some rain must fall. On June 15, 2002, 82-year-old Martin was outside attempting to remove a Sycamore tree which was partially destroyed during a recent storm.

With his wife, a son and daughter watching, the unthinkable happened. The entire tree fell onto Martin crushing him. With no cell phone service, they ran to the road and flagged down a car containing two nurses; an ambulance was called, but it was too late. Barb’s knight in shining armor was gone.

Within the week the WOC board of directors asked Barb to become president; Lindy was in college, so she accepted.

Now retired, Barb spends her days with their children, 23 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. She also has a bevy of friends, provides organ music at her church and sings in the choir. Additionally, Barb continues to volunteer at the 24-hour adoration in the chapel of St. Joseph’s Hospital after 25 years.

Since Martin’s passing, Barb has made several treks to Medjugorje, a town in the Herzegovina area near Croatia, where “the Blessed Mother Mary is said to appear.” Barb has taken her family there also.

Barb reflected she believes God has a sense of humor to have brought her and Martin together from two such varied origins.

“We raised our family in Highland and lived happily ever after,” said Barb.

This is her outlook on life in spite of her losses.

“My cup runneth over,” said Barb.