Mary Cordelia "Cordie" Erdman Barber

February 15, 1924 - June 19, 2024

Mary Cordelia “Cordie” Erdman Barber

Mary Cordelia “Cordie” Erdman Barber, passed away in Spokane, WA on June 19, 2024. Cordie was born on February 15, 1924 in Taiku (daegu), Korea, to Presbyterian missionary parents, Walter and Julia (Winn) Erdman. 

Cordie and her family would relocate to Philadelphia, PA, where she would spend her childhood and college years. She would obtain a B.S. in geology from the King’s College in New Castle, DE in 1945, before going on to earn a B.A. in geology from Wheaton College in Wheaton, IL in 1946. She would return to Wheaton College as a geology instructor after obtaining her M.A. in geology from Columbia University in New York, NY in 1949, continuing this work until 1954. She was also a seasonal Ranger Naturalist at Grand Canyon National Park from 1951 through the 1953 season.

On February 20, 1954, she married a fellow geologist, Dean Austin Barber, of Big Creek, CA, and together they established Living Springs Ranch, a non-denominational Christian retreat center near Deer Park, WA. They lived and served at the Ranch from 1964-2000, then retired to a condominium in Nine Mile Falls, WA where Dean passed away in 2014.

She is survived by her son, Timothy Barber and wife Shelly of Spokane WA; her daughter, Tanna Paulson and husband Wesley of Powell ID; grandchildren Peter Barber of Lincoln NE, Emily Barber of Astoria, OR, and Jeremy Paulson and wife Tiffany of Deer Park WA; great grand-daughter Kaitlynn Paulson of Deer Park WA.

In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be sent to:

Christian Aid Mission www.christianaid.org 

Designated Nepal World Challenge worldchallenge.org/give 

Designated widows and orphans