In Memoriam

Michael Russell Barton

May 25, 1945- November 2, 1968

US Navy E-3

 

OBITUARY: The Lancaster News, November 5, 1968

William Heyward Gardner, 29, and Michael Russell Mike Barton, 23, were killed early Saturday morning when their car ran off Highway 9 and overturned near the Catawba River bridge in Chester County.

Barton, a Vietnam War veteran, was employed at Clark Control Division.

Funeral services for Michael R. Barton will be conducted Wednesday afternoon at 4 o’clock from White Springs Baptist Church with the Rev. Buddy T. Mathis and the Rev. W.B. Satterfield officiating.  Burial will be in Lancaster Memorial Park.

Mr. Barton was born in Lancaster County, a son of Mrs. Ethel Jordan Barton and the late Paul T. Barton.

Surviving are his mother, and three brothers, Drennon and Donald Barton, both of Lancaster, and Marion Barton of the US Army.

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Mike Barton lived just down the road from me as kids growing up. We had a  “Gooches Cross Roads “ Gang as kids and we spent many hours  playing and scrapping with one another in those days.  We would take sides and several times have air rifle battles, that is  until  one of our gang took a hit just above the eye. The BB was lodged in his eyelid and came very close to hitting the eyeball. That incident stopped the air rifle battles that we were having.  Every family in the neighborhood had a house full of kids and our parents didn't seem to worry about our whereabouts. In the summer we would leave home with the gang and come back at  nearly sundown from playing army  in “poovys woods” .  If we had had someone with a video camera during those summers  playing together, we’d have made the “little Rascals”  a lot more interesting.  Mike  never had much to say-very quite and reserved.  The last time I saw him was when we both worked  at Mick Parkers  “Park and Shop” .  A lot of Good Memories from the grocery store days.

Submitted by Charles Goodman