I want to nominate my Mom, Marion Barker, as the Ultimate Packer backer. Winners or losers, she is
steadfast with a winner's heart! There are many outward signs of her Packer loyalty. At kickoff
of the first season game, the string of 50 blinking Packer helmets goes on to light the dining area
of her kitchen in East Troy. In lieu of flowers when her knee was replaced, my stepfather installed
a 20 ft. flagpole in their front yard for her 3 x 5 Packers flag it flies at half staff when they
lose. My brother gave her and her Packer Backer buddy a trip to see the Lion's game. Of course
they won- the only time the Packers have won in the dome. She celebrated her 80th birthday at the Broke
Spoke, where friends ate Brett's mom's red beans and rice and had a great time. She's had more Packer
parties, loved more players, blown her referee whistle at more bad ref calls than anyone could count.
On a trip to Arizona, she insisted on visiting Buffalo Chips, a bar owned by Max McGee's
daughter- Max's shirt hangs there! She brought home 5 t-shirts for her Packer buddies. When
Hologram deserted she burned his 7-up cap in effigy. She has dish towels declaring as Steve Rose
did - "God must be a Packer fan!" She donated a car to Bart's Rawhide Boys Ranch and persuaded
my husband and I to donate 2! She still wears all her Packers apparel and proudly displays the
picture she took of Robert Brooks. " Something got in her eye" when LeRoy Butler was injured
and retired.
But for the Ultimate Packers backer, it's not just the outward signs that count. To be a winner,
Mom believes we must all- players, team, backers,- be of one heart: a winner's heart. She'll be
85 in February and she is as strong a backer as she was 40 years ago when she began inducting
me at age 7. I still love to be at her house during a game. As a big Sunday dinner cooks in the
oven, she runs back and forth from the stove to the television. The radio is blaring in the
kitchen, the amplified TV on in the living room, and above it all rises her shrieks of joy and
anger as she watches "her boys " on the field. " The boys are cookin!" she yells, as Driver
rises up over the wall in a Lambeau Leap. To quote Mom, " You don't have to paint your body
green or take your clothes off when it's zero! Just do as Favre does; believe they can do it.
They have, they can, they will!" My mom is the Ultimate Packer Backer- with that Winner's Heart!
Nominated by her daughter, Laurie Engen
|
