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June 28, 2007
Resort visit brings back memories of childhood when parents owned Barky’s
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“After being away for 37 years, it’s really a joy to be back here,” she said. “There are so many wonderful memories.” McAreavey lives in Ponca City, Okla., and spent time at the resort with her brother, David Barkmeier, a resident of Columbia Heights near the Twin Cities. Their father, Vincent Barkmeier, operated a restaurant in Sioux Falls, S.D., before purchasing Barky’s — then called the Real McCoy Restaurant — with his wife Maxine in 1956. Back then Barky’s was strictly a restaurant. The Barkmeiers added a double-wide trailer from De Smet, S.D. Later on, six more double-wide trailers became part of Barky’s Resort. “Back then those trailers were clean and very appealing to customers who, during the 1950s, were used to renting cabins with outhouses,” David said. “By today’s standards they may not be seen as classic cabins, but back then they were widely appreciated.” Those double-wide trailers, each of which had the name of a dog, stood until the fall of 2006 when the current Barky’s owners, Marc and Kathy Gruenenwald, constructed new cabins. Old-timers who recall dining at Barky’s restaurant from the 1950s to the 1980s still talk about some wonderful roast turkey and baked ham dinners, along with other specials. The meals were topped off with Barky’s homemade ice cream for dessert — which still receives accolades even today. “Dad learned the homemade ice cream routine from working at his sister’s farm near Exeter, Neb.,” David said. “Even after purchasing Barky’s, dad kept his restaurant — called McKennan Cafe — in Sioux Falls. It was busy for him going back and forth between Otter Tail Lake and southeastern South Dakota.” In those days David, Nancy and their siblings helped their mother Maxine run Barky’s when their father was back at the restaurant weekdays in Sioux Falls. “I remember helping mom bake about 25 pies each Saturday, in anticipation of the Sunday dinner crowd coming to Barky’s,” Nancy said. “My mother also made caramel rolls and other pastries for our guests.” David remembers being a cook in the restaurant. Vincent and Maxine operated the restaurant until about 1980, and after that Barky’s was strictly a resort. Vincent died in 1987, the year Maxine sold the resort. She died in 1991. A son, Joel, died in 1990, one year before the death of his mother. Another son, Steven, lives in Hayworth, Ill. “Nancy, Steven and I and our families all cherish and appreciate our family history related to Barky’s Resort,” David said. Current owners Marc and Kathy Gruenenwald gave David and Nancy some old placemats that they found — dating back to the 1970s. Complete dinners were prices at $3.49 each and soft drinks and milk sold for 15 cents each. The price of a cheeseburger was $1.35 and a dish of the famous Barky’s homemade ice cream sold for 70 cents per dish. “I remember as a kid looking around the old boat house here at Barky’s and coming across wheels on sleds dating back to the 1930s,” David said. “I later found that an actual rail was used during the summer months, and kids used the wooden slide to go down the rail. That was a fun discovery.” Current Barky’s owners Marc and Kathy Gruenenwald appreciated hosting David and Nancy this week. For them — as well as members of the Barkmeier family — it was fun going back in time.
Published 12:00pm Thursday, June 28, 2007
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