Casper Star-Tribune
Thursday, January 1, 1959
Page 1
Pioneer Sheep Rancher Dies
A pioneer in the sheep ranching business of central Wyoming since before the turn of the century, Lewis Barker died at Natrona County Memorial Hospital on New Year's Eve at 7:10 p.m. He was 85.
Trailing sheep from Oregon to Wyoming in 1895, Mr. Barker built up one of the largest sheep ranchers in this area through the years and was widely known in ranching circles throughout the state.
He sold his holdings in 1950 and continued to reside at 902 South Beech, where he and Mrs. Barker made their home for many years, spending the last several winters in Phoenix, Ariz.
He enjoyed remarkably good health for one of advancing years. During the past few months his health failed and his condition became critical about a week ago.
He was born at Athens, Me., in 1873, and accompanied two brothers west to Oregon, at the age of 19. In 1895, he trailed sheep from Oregon to Wyoming and later joined his youngest brother, the late Austin Barker, in the sheep business. They bought the Stone ranch, a familiar landmark on the Yellowstone Highway, 15 miles west of Casper, from O. K. Garvey, an early-day rancher. Later Mr. Barker sold his interest in the Stone ranch to his brother and established his own ranch holdings in the Powder River section.
Upon his retirement in 1950, Mr. Barker sold his holdings to the late A. C. Hitt, who operated the general store in Powder River and was also engaged in the sheep business. The Barker ranch included about 20,000 acres of range land in that area. The sheep and summer range in the Big Horns were sold to Joe Donlin.
Lewis Barker and Ida Garvey were married in 1905 at the Stone ranch, where the Garveys resided at that time. They had three children: Vira Barker Tobin, Casper; Bernice Barker Varnell of Midland, Tex., and Lewis Berker, Jr., who passed away a year ago last December.
Also surviving are five grandchildren and two great grandsons. Mr. Barker was familiarly known to his grandchildren and many friends as "Papa Lew."
Mr. Barker's youngest brother, Austin C. Barker, died five years ago.
Other survivors besides his widow and children, are three nieces in Casper, and a nephew who is also a well-known sheepman in this area. Several nieces and nephews reside in Oregon and another niece and nephew live in Canada.
Mr. Barker was a member of the Methodist church in Maine, a member of the Natrona County Pioneer Association, a life member of the Casper Elks Lodge and a member of the Odd Fellows Lodge.
Arrangements for funeral services will be announced by the Horstman-Gay Chapel. The family has requested that donations to the Easter Seal fund for crippled children at Thermopolis be made in lieu of flowers at the funeral. Donations will be accepted by the Horstman-Gay Chapel.
One of the last requests made by Mr. Barker was that young sheepmen of his acquaintance serve as pallbearers at his funeral. This last gesture, he felt, would impose too much of a strain on his contemporaries in the sheep business.
Thursday, January 1, 1959
Page 1
Pioneer Sheep Rancher Dies
A pioneer in the sheep ranching business of central Wyoming since before the turn of the century, Lewis Barker died at Natrona County Memorial Hospital on New Year's Eve at 7:10 p.m. He was 85.
Trailing sheep from Oregon to Wyoming in 1895, Mr. Barker built up one of the largest sheep ranchers in this area through the years and was widely known in ranching circles throughout the state.
He sold his holdings in 1950 and continued to reside at 902 South Beech, where he and Mrs. Barker made their home for many years, spending the last several winters in Phoenix, Ariz.
He enjoyed remarkably good health for one of advancing years. During the past few months his health failed and his condition became critical about a week ago.
He was born at Athens, Me., in 1873, and accompanied two brothers west to Oregon, at the age of 19. In 1895, he trailed sheep from Oregon to Wyoming and later joined his youngest brother, the late Austin Barker, in the sheep business. They bought the Stone ranch, a familiar landmark on the Yellowstone Highway, 15 miles west of Casper, from O. K. Garvey, an early-day rancher. Later Mr. Barker sold his interest in the Stone ranch to his brother and established his own ranch holdings in the Powder River section.
Upon his retirement in 1950, Mr. Barker sold his holdings to the late A. C. Hitt, who operated the general store in Powder River and was also engaged in the sheep business. The Barker ranch included about 20,000 acres of range land in that area. The sheep and summer range in the Big Horns were sold to Joe Donlin.
Lewis Barker and Ida Garvey were married in 1905 at the Stone ranch, where the Garveys resided at that time. They had three children: Vira Barker Tobin, Casper; Bernice Barker Varnell of Midland, Tex., and Lewis Berker, Jr., who passed away a year ago last December.
Also surviving are five grandchildren and two great grandsons. Mr. Barker was familiarly known to his grandchildren and many friends as "Papa Lew."
Mr. Barker's youngest brother, Austin C. Barker, died five years ago.
Other survivors besides his widow and children, are three nieces in Casper, and a nephew who is also a well-known sheepman in this area. Several nieces and nephews reside in Oregon and another niece and nephew live in Canada.
Mr. Barker was a member of the Methodist church in Maine, a member of the Natrona County Pioneer Association, a life member of the Casper Elks Lodge and a member of the Odd Fellows Lodge.
Arrangements for funeral services will be announced by the Horstman-Gay Chapel. The family has requested that donations to the Easter Seal fund for crippled children at Thermopolis be made in lieu of flowers at the funeral. Donations will be accepted by the Horstman-Gay Chapel.
One of the last requests made by Mr. Barker was that young sheepmen of his acquaintance serve as pallbearers at his funeral. This last gesture, he felt, would impose too much of a strain on his contemporaries in the sheep business.
Casper Star-Tribune
Thursday, January 1, 1959
Page 1
Pioneer Sheep Rancher Dies
A pioneer in the sheep ranching business of central Wyoming since before the turn of the century, Lewis Barker died at Natrona County Memorial Hospital on New Year's Eve at 7:10 p.m. He was 85.
Trailing sheep from Oregon to Wyoming in 1895, Mr. Barker built up one of the largest sheep ranchers in this area through the years and was widely known in ranching circles throughout the state.
He sold his holdings in 1950 and continued to reside at 902 South Beech, where he and Mrs. Barker made their home for many years, spending the last several winters in Phoenix, Ariz.
He enjoyed remarkably good health for one of advancing years. During the past few months his health failed and his condition became critical about a week ago.
He was born at Athens, Me., in 1873, and accompanied two brothers west to Oregon, at the age of 19. In 1895, he trailed sheep from Oregon to Wyoming and later joined his youngest brother, the late Austin Barker, in the sheep business. They bought the Stone ranch, a familiar landmark on the Yellowstone Highway, 15 miles west of Casper, from O. K. Garvey, an early-day rancher. Later Mr. Barker sold his interest in the Stone ranch to his brother and established his own ranch holdings in the Powder River section.
Upon his retirement in 1950, Mr. Barker sold his holdings to the late A. C. Hitt, who operated the general store in Powder River and was also engaged in the sheep business. The Barker ranch included about 20,000 acres of range land in that area. The sheep and summer range in the Big Horns were sold to Joe Donlin.
Lewis Barker and Ida Garvey were married in 1905 at the Stone ranch, where the Garveys resided at that time. They had three children: Vira Barker Tobin, Casper; Bernice Barker Varnell of Midland, Tex., and Lewis Berker, Jr., who passed away a year ago last December.
Also surviving are five grandchildren and two great grandsons. Mr. Barker was familiarly known to his grandchildren and many friends as "Papa Lew."
Mr. Barker's youngest brother, Austin C. Barker, died five years ago.
Other survivors besides his widow and children, are three nieces in Casper, and a nephew who is also a well-known sheepman in this area. Several nieces and nephews reside in Oregon and another niece and nephew live in Canada.
Mr. Barker was a member of the Methodist church in Maine, a member of the Natrona County Pioneer Association, a life member of the Casper Elks Lodge and a member of the Odd Fellows Lodge.
Arrangements for funeral services will be announced by the Horstman-Gay Chapel. The family has requested that donations to the Easter Seal fund for crippled children at Thermopolis be made in lieu of flowers at the funeral. Donations will be accepted by the Horstman-Gay Chapel.
One of the last requests made by Mr. Barker was that young sheepmen of his acquaintance serve as pallbearers at his funeral. This last gesture, he felt, would impose too much of a strain on his contemporaries in the sheep business.
Thursday, January 1, 1959
Page 1
Pioneer Sheep Rancher Dies
A pioneer in the sheep ranching business of central Wyoming since before the turn of the century, Lewis Barker died at Natrona County Memorial Hospital on New Year's Eve at 7:10 p.m. He was 85.
Trailing sheep from Oregon to Wyoming in 1895, Mr. Barker built up one of the largest sheep ranchers in this area through the years and was widely known in ranching circles throughout the state.
He sold his holdings in 1950 and continued to reside at 902 South Beech, where he and Mrs. Barker made their home for many years, spending the last several winters in Phoenix, Ariz.
He enjoyed remarkably good health for one of advancing years. During the past few months his health failed and his condition became critical about a week ago.
He was born at Athens, Me., in 1873, and accompanied two brothers west to Oregon, at the age of 19. In 1895, he trailed sheep from Oregon to Wyoming and later joined his youngest brother, the late Austin Barker, in the sheep business. They bought the Stone ranch, a familiar landmark on the Yellowstone Highway, 15 miles west of Casper, from O. K. Garvey, an early-day rancher. Later Mr. Barker sold his interest in the Stone ranch to his brother and established his own ranch holdings in the Powder River section.
Upon his retirement in 1950, Mr. Barker sold his holdings to the late A. C. Hitt, who operated the general store in Powder River and was also engaged in the sheep business. The Barker ranch included about 20,000 acres of range land in that area. The sheep and summer range in the Big Horns were sold to Joe Donlin.
Lewis Barker and Ida Garvey were married in 1905 at the Stone ranch, where the Garveys resided at that time. They had three children: Vira Barker Tobin, Casper; Bernice Barker Varnell of Midland, Tex., and Lewis Berker, Jr., who passed away a year ago last December.
Also surviving are five grandchildren and two great grandsons. Mr. Barker was familiarly known to his grandchildren and many friends as "Papa Lew."
Mr. Barker's youngest brother, Austin C. Barker, died five years ago.
Other survivors besides his widow and children, are three nieces in Casper, and a nephew who is also a well-known sheepman in this area. Several nieces and nephews reside in Oregon and another niece and nephew live in Canada.
Mr. Barker was a member of the Methodist church in Maine, a member of the Natrona County Pioneer Association, a life member of the Casper Elks Lodge and a member of the Odd Fellows Lodge.
Arrangements for funeral services will be announced by the Horstman-Gay Chapel. The family has requested that donations to the Easter Seal fund for crippled children at Thermopolis be made in lieu of flowers at the funeral. Donations will be accepted by the Horstman-Gay Chapel.
One of the last requests made by Mr. Barker was that young sheepmen of his acquaintance serve as pallbearers at his funeral. This last gesture, he felt, would impose too much of a strain on his contemporaries in the sheep business.
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