Barkema, Martha (1902-1999). Papers, 1921-1999.

Martha “Barkie” Barkema received degrees from Hope College (1925), and Eastman School of Music of the University of Rochester, New York. She served as an instructor in French and music at Hope College from 1927-1929, and as Professor of Voice and Director of Choral Activities at Baylor University in Waco, Texas, from 1937-1972, when she retired. There she founded two outstanding choral groups: the Baylor Bards for young men, and the Rhapsody in White for young women. She was also a soloist with the Rochester Philharmonic Symphony and served as minister of music at First Baptist Church in Waco for 24 years. Her collection includes her Holland High School diploma (1921), Hope College diploma (1925), “Service of Worship in Memory of Martha Barkema, 1999,” program, and her 1999 obituary. Both diplomas are located in the Hope Oversized Collections drawer. Baylor University archives retain material on Barkema concerning her time there as a professor and director of choral activities. (B)