The Earl Bartlow Family Back-Rex, Bart, Duane, Wayne Front Norman, Rachel Victor, Earl, Mel, Elsie, Leta |
Bart (far right) with brothers Wayne, Duane, and Rex. Howard, Ks |
The family eventually moved back to NW Oklahoma and Bart took on many jobs over the next few years ranching and cotton picking in Texas but in 1950 he along with his younger brothers Duane, Wayne, and Rex joined the famous 45th Division Thunderbirds and went off to Korea for a couple years of adventure (if you can call it that). Thanks to the Lord's protection, they all returned home, he in 1952, where he married my aunt Joan.
Uncle Bart took a job operating a D6 Cat building ponds late at night. It was cold and Uncle Bart was never a complainer but he was smart enough to know how to find something better and ended up with a job at the AT&SFRR, a career he held for 34 years, retiring in 1986. He and Aunt Joan eventually settled in Enid although they never did really "settle" until his health turned poor. For many of those retirement years he was the head of the Retired Bartlow Brothers Traveling Circus-all of them with trailers who went from place to place on great adventures.
Probably the greatest picture of Uncle Bart I could give to describe him as the steady man he was, was given by my daughter Kellie at his funeral. She said "Uncle Bart always reminded me of John Wayne". Wow, and it was true. Uncle Bart didn't talk as much as his siblings but when he did it was in a low, growly voice that demanded attention and got it. It was a voice of steadiness, of power, of experience. A voice that demanded respect and made the listener sit up and take note.
John Wayne-he always aspired to be like my Uncle Bart |
He was a John Wayne kind of guy. Faithful to his wife and family, true to his word, confident in his abilities. He never talked a lot about his faith but I know he trusted the Lord and led his family that way.
Just like when the weather turned cold on that old D6 Cat, he never complained. Even when he fought the cancer that eventually took his life, he never complained. As Pastor Jeff Jackson said at his funeral, he was of the generation that just got things done. They weren't whiners about the difficulty of life like some of the generations who have followed.
I'm sure going to miss him. But as Pastor Jeff said, Uncle Bart spread his sails and moved out to sea, we watched until he became a speck and said "There he goes". But those just over the horizon on the other side saw that speck appear and he got larger and they said, "Here he comes!". Because of Christ, one day he'll say that about me. Until then, he awaits on the shore, joyful with his King and family and watching for us.
Aunt Joan, Uncle Bart, Ramona 2006 Enid, OK |
Soli Deo Gloria
http://enidnews.com/obituaries/x1113183336/Warren-Howard-Bart-Bartlow
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