James "Jim" M. Barker

Memorial services for Jim Barker will be 2:00 p.m. Monday, October 20, 2014, at the First Christian Church with Rev. Ron Pingelton officiating. He was cremated at his request. James M. “Jim” Barker was born in Alva, Oklahoma, on January 11, 1939, to Elisha McKinley and Ruby Louisa (Branch) Barker and passed away October 16, 2014, in Enid, at the age of 75 years, 10 months, and 5 days. He grew up in Alva, living briefly in Watonga, Oklahoma, where he spent his first two years of school. He attended Alva public schools and graduated with the Class of ‘57. Many lifelong friendships were forged during that time. His childhood was spent exploring his hometown with his brothers and sisters. He also spent many hours fishing on the Nescatunga and local ponds. He and his brothers delivered the Alva Review Courier. Throughout junior high and high school he played baseball and football. In junior high, he met the love of his life, Patty Taylor. They began dating during their senior year of high school and were married on July 26, 1958. Jim attended college at Northwestern. He received his bachelor’s degree in 1961 and his master’s degree in 1969. He taught school, coached and was a school administrator in Mancos, Colorado, Lamar, Colorado, Ogallala, Nebraska, Cherokee, Oklahoma, and Elkhart, Kansas. Following their retirement from teaching, he and his wife, Patty, moved back to their hometown of Alva. Not yet ready for the rocking chair, Jim took a job as Sports Information Director for NWOSU. He later worked as a sportswriter and photographer for the Alva Review Courier. He was eventually given the opportunity to pursue his love of writing and revived his father’s Sports Spasms column. Writing this popular column, he followed his dad’s format covering everything from local sports and history to fishing and wildlife conservation. Occasionally he reprised samples from E.M. Barker’s original column. He had quite a following among the readership. Jim served the National Guard for eight consecutive summers. He was a member of the Alva First Christian Church, serving as deacon, elder, and board member. His interests were many. They included woodworking, fishing, traveling, genealogy, writing, art, history, science, and collecting everything. He loved music and spent many hours playing his beloved dulcimers. He was a Civil War buff, and was also interested in Frontier and Native American history. He wrote several books on local history, his father’s service during World War I, and a collection of past Sports Spasms columns. He also served on the board of the Alva Cherokee Strip Museum and spent many hours researching local history for their archives. Jim was preceded in death by his parents and his brother, John. He is survived by his wife, Patty, of the home, his daughters, Sarah Huhn and husband, Steve, of Tulsa, and Rebecca Sprang and husband, Larry, of Kansas City; grandchildren, Ashley Taylor and husband, Curt, Eric Wheeler, and Holly Nicholson and husband, James; and great grandchildren, Zoe McDonald, Creed Taylor, Blake Nicholson and Chloe Nicholson. Also surviving are his brothers and sisters, Bill Barker, Ruby “Susie” Ray and husband, Dr. D.D., Bev Barker, and Barbara King and husband, Wes; brother-in-law, Joel Taylor, and sister-in-law, Mary Ann Risinger; along with many nieces, nephews, family and friends. Memorial contributions may be made in his memory through the funeral home to Alva First Christian Church or to the NWOSU Barker-Taylor Scholarship Fund.

James "Jim" M. Barker

January 11, 1939 - October 16, 2014