J. W. Barker
J. W. Barker, 93, passed from this life December 5, 2013, at the Henrietta Care Center in Henrietta, Texas. He was born April 26, 1920, to James Papa Jimand Francis Barker, in Springtown, Oklahoma.
Mr. Barker attended Empire School. While playing baseball against the Halliburton team he was offered a contract to pitch for the Oklahoma City Indians, the New York Yankees farm team. Unfortunately, the team was disbanded before he got a chance to try out. He began work at Halliburton in 1942, sweeping floors for $.42/hr. He became a machinist and worked there until he transferred to the oil fields. He spent a year working in the oil fields of Argentina. In total he worked fifty-seven years in the oil fields, twenty of them with Halliburton. He was married to Leta Allen of Snyder, Texas.
J.W. was married to Pauline Smith on November 10, 1990, at the Irving Baptist Church. He was a member of the First Baptist Church in Ryan, Oklahoma and was a member of the Masonic Lodge.
He was preceded in death by his first wife Leta on July 28, 1989, his parents, James and Francis Barker, two brothers - Eugene and Monroe, and his daughter Donna Sue Carter.
Survivors include: his wife Pauline, of the home in Ryan, OK: stepchildren - Gwen and Kenneth Kay of Wichita Falls, TX, Ann Cargill of Medicine Lodge, KS, and Ron and Nancy Smith of Oklahoma City, OK; grandchild - Jeffery Wain Walker and his wife Donnita of Manassas, VA; step-grandchildren - Tiffany Gilmore of Henrietta, TX, Stephanie Ryan of Seguin, TX, Chad Cargill of Medicine Lodge, KS, Jason Smith of Amarillo, TX, and Jayme Chaney of Oklahoma City, OK; great-grandchildren - Keela Brook and her husband Jeremy Williams of Duncan, OK, and Trevor Walker of Duncan, OK; step-great-grandchildren - Sierra and Carson Cargill of Medicine Lodge, KS, Cole Gilmore of Henrietta, TX, and Kate Ryan of Seguin, TX; and great-great-grandchildren - Shae Lynn Williams and Nathaniel Vicente Williams of Duncan, OK.
Graveside funeral services for Mr. Barker will be Wednesday, December 11, 2013 at 1:00PM at Dudley Funeral Home Chapel in Waurika, Oklahoma. Visitation will be 9AM-noon Wednesday at Dudley Funeral Home.