Julian Reid Barton

Julian Reid Barton passed away October 2, 2011 after a period of declining health. He was born on September 7, 1919, the son of Orlie and Jessie Leadbetter Barton. He grew up in Vestal Center where his father was a dairy farmer. Reid graduated in the last Vestal Class to graduate from Union-Endicott High School in 1938, an active member of Future Farmers of America. Reid joined his father in farming in Vestal Center and later, Nichols where he met and married Louise Hinkson in 1948. He left farming to enter the auto business with Wells Messmer Dodge in Endicott in 1949 and later opened Penn-York Valley Motors on Keystone Ave. in Sayre, Pennsylvania in 1952, remaining at that location until 1974, when he built a new building for his dealership on Spring St. in Sayre, PA. He retired from business in 1989 when he sold the dealership to Scoville-Meno Dodge. Reid was member of the Sayre Rotary Club, holding positions of President (1958) and Historian throughout his 57 years of membership. In 1988 he was awarded the Paul Harris Fellow Award, Rotary's highest honor for outstanding service. He faithfully attended meetings until he was no longer able and in 2010 he was granted the status of honorary member. Reid also donated generously to the Guthrie Foundation and was a member of the Board of Directors for many years. He was the mayor of Nichols from 1966 to 1972 and during his mayoral tenure was instrumental in building the floodwall that surrounds the village, which preserved the village over the years beginning with Hurricane Agnes in 1972 to the past flood of 2011. He also served on the Village and Town of Nichols Boards until 2008 and the Nichols Cemetery Board as recently as 2010. He was a founding member of the Tioga Country Club in Nichols established in 1964. He was actively involved in Habitat for Humanity, donating many hours to the construction of the Habitat home in Nichols which was completed in 1999. In addition, he was a member of the Westbrook Masonic Lodge in Nichols for more than 63 years, joining in 1948. He served as a Lodge trustee for several years and was Worshipful Master of the Lodge in the years 1954, 1955, and 1965. Reid was a member of the Nichols United Methodist Church for more than 50 years. Over the years he served on the Board of Trustees, Administrative Board, as Sunday School Superintendent, chaired committees, and donated hours of labor to the upkeep of the church building. He also traveled to South Carolina with the First Presbyterian Church Endicott for 12 annual mission trips until he was 88 years old, to work on construction and rehabilitation of homes in the impoverished communities outside Charleston. Reid was predeceased by his parents Orlie and Jessie Leadbetter Barton, his wife Emma Louise Hinkson Barton in 1995 and his sister Ruth Barton Stradley. He is survived by his daughter and son-in-law, Elizabeth and Douglas Kerr of Vestal, his son and daughter-in-law, David and Linda Barton of Nichols; 5 grandchildren: Rebecca Barton Butterworth of Apalachin, Kathryn Kerr Bates of Binghamton, Elizabeth Kerr Wilson of Conklin, NY, Daniel Reid Barton of Houston, TX, and Andrea B. Kerr of Boston, MA; 12 great grandchildren: Evelyn, David, Louisa, Adele, and Edward Julian Butterworth; Marina, Emma, and Olivia Bates; McKenna and Grant Wilson; Fayne and Farah Barton; many nephews, nieces, and friends in the community. Family and friends are invited to attend a period of calling hours on Friday, October 7th from 2-4 pm and 7-9 pm at the Sutfin Funeral Chapel, 273 S. Main St., Nichols. Masonic services will be conducted on Friday at 7:45pm by the Westbrook Masonic Lodge. Memories and condonlences for Reid's fmaily may be shared by visiting our website at www.sutfinfuneralchapel.com A service of remembrance and celebration of a life well lived will be held on Saturday, October 8th at 11 am at the Sutfin Funeral Chapel, with Pastor Brown Naik, officiating. A period of visitation will also be held on Saturday from 10 am until the time of the service. Interment will follow at the Nichols Cemetery. Memorials may be directed to the Nichols United Methodist Church, Bliven St., Nichols, NY 13812 or the Nichols Cemetery, PO Box 42, Nichols, NY 13812 in loving memory of J. Reid Barton.