CLINTON TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WXYZ) — Rosemary Barker's last communication from her daughter Emily was on Mother's Day when Emily sent her mother a card that she had made years ago at camp.
"It was cute. It had pedals from a flower that they glued onto a card and she wrote me a beautiful note," Barker said.
Watch Evan Sery's video report below:
That note will now hold a new kind of meaning. Emily Barker, 38, a Clinton Township native, was one of three firefighters killed responding to a wildfire near the Utah-Colorado border on Saturday. Two additional firefighters were also injured, according to the U.S. Department of the Interior and Agriculture.
"Parents aren't supposed to outlive their children. There's not much I can — say this is really tough," Rosemary Barker said.
On Sunday in Grand Junction, Colorado, locals and first responders lined the streets for a procession paying tribute to the three fallen firefighters.
"She died doing something she loves," Rosemary Barker said.
Before fighting fires in Colorado, Emily grew up in a Clinton Township neighborhood near 17 Mile and Hayes roads. After graduating from Regina High School in Warren, she attended Northern Michigan University.
Her father, David Barker, said Emily had a passion for fighting fires and a love for snow.
"My wife calls her my fire and ice child. She loved fighting fires during summer and grooming snow during the winter at ski resorts," David Barker said.
On Monday night, a moment of silence was held at the Clinton Township Board of Trustees meeting in her honor.
"Our hearts go out to her family. We honor her commitment and sacrifice," a speaker at the meeting said.
David and Rosemary Barker said the outpouring of community support has given them strength during this unimaginable time.
"You just pray that someday she's gonna retire and move on to her next adventure, but that's not how its gonna be," Rosemary Barker said.
Emily Barker is survived by her parents and her siblings, Nick and Lisa.
"In the beginning, we were concerned with her health and safety, but we learned to live with it because it was something she loved to do," David Barker said.
—————
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
