Ralph Edmund Barton Jr. (1916 - 2003)

Born 14 Nov 1916 in Waterloo, Black Hawk, Iowa, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Eulalie Evans (Closson) Barton — married 29 Sep 1939 in Waterloo, Black Hawk, Iowa, United States

Descendants

Died 1 Oct 2003 at age 86 in Riverside, Riverside, California, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Richard Barton [send private message]

Biography

This profile is part of the Barton Name Study.

Growing up in Iowa

Ralph Barton Jr. was an Iowan.

1920 US Census finds Ralph in his parents household in Waterloo, Iowa.^[2]

1925 Iowa Census locates him in father's household in Cedar Falls, Black Hawk, Iowa, United States.^[3]

Ralph with his favorite pony in 1925. He had a soft spot for horses all his life.

1930 US Census finds Ralph in his parents household in Waterloo, Iowa.^[4]

Fact: Residence (1935) Same Place

After high school, Ralph attended technical college in Waterloo, Iowa and received an Associates Degree in accounting. The degree severed him well for the rest of his life.

Ralph married Eulalie Closson in 1939 in Waterloo, Iowa.^[5] 1940 Census has Ralph and Eulalie on Mulberry St, Waterloo, East Waterloo Twp, Black Hawk, Iowa, USA. ^[6] It turns out that they are 9th cousins once removed. Interesting.

WW II's Influence

WWII was a hard time for everyone in the country. Just a slim year after they were married, Ralph was drafted into WWII. When he left, Eulalie was pregnant with their first child. Nancy was born in September of 1940.^[7] Ralph served for two plus years and would not meet his daughter for the first time until she was more than two years old.^[8]

Ralph Jr in his Navy uniform

While Ralph Jr. was deployed in the Navy, where he was stationed in Hawaii. [Barton Ralph Edmund Jr -- [Service Number] 008601589, [Date of Enlistment] 02/23/1944.]^[9] Eulalie, making hard choices, decided to go with her in-laws (Ralph Sr. and Vesta Barton) and move from Waterloo, Iowa to Riverside, California. The migration to Riverside was in 1941 or 1942. The reason for the move may have been that Ralph Sr. could find work at March Air Force Base during the war and after. When Ralph Jr. was discharged from the Navy, he followed his family and settle in a new place, Riverside, California.^[8]

Married Life in California

Ralph Barton Jr. was a Californian.

Eulalie and Ralph settled in Riverside, close to his parents. But in 1951, after the birth of his son, Ralph and Eulalie moved to Iowa for a few years, wanting to farm. They worked for other people near Jesup, Iowa. Eventually had a small piece of land and Ralph worked as an account in town, farmed in spare time.

Times were difficult, and Ralph felt, as the only son, the need to be around his parents as they aged. So once again, they migrated to Riverside, California. They remained in Riverside, California for the rest of their lives. Family was there, for Eulalie's brother Ted Closson had come to California, and eventually to Riverside, California. They stayed close over the years. Ralph and Ted did a lot of bicycle riding together in there later years.^[10]

Ralph worked for several important businesses in Riverside. He was the office manager and accountant for Sunkist Growers Cooperative, and the last job of his career was office manager for Riverside Community Hospital. Often family was given a tour of the packing sheds and oranges or grapefruit were cut open with a long pocket knife and eating right there.

He and Eulalie enjoyed traveling and did so almost every summer. They took their children through many of the National Parks. This was before Interstate roads and air conditioning in cars. Trips most often ended up in Iowa, to visit old friends and family. Many days were spent under white puffy clouds on friend's farms. After Richard graduated and moved to Iowa, they enjoyed visiting him along with his wife Ann and the three grandchildren on the farm.^[8]

Ralph taught his son basic woodworking and mechanical skills. Many of his tools are now in the possesion of his son, and a few have passed to his great grand children. Even in California, Ralph kept rabbits, goats, and chickens in the backyard, and horses nearby in a riverbottom pasture. Ralph also did most of the garden work and mowed lawns for other people after his son went off to college. Ralph loved ice cream and especially enjoyed churning homemade ice cream in the summer.

The yard contained Bird of Paradise, Bear's Breeches, Pyracantha, and Geraniums in the front yard; Glads, Hens and Chickens, Bougainvillea, and English Walnuts in the backyard. Their residencial lot was converted from Walnut groves, and each side of the lot was lined with English Walnut trees, so many hours were spent cracking and shelling walnuts at the tablesaw in the garage.

Ralph professed faith in Christ as a young man (about 20 something) and was a life-long Presbyterian (attend a few other churches along the way). Ralph often served as church treasurer and in other offices. Ralph and Eulalie always worked hard to stay in contact with relatives. Most of all they found ways to keep and improve relationships with their children and spouses.^[8]

In 1989, Ralph and Eulalie celebrated their 50th Wedding Anniversary. All of their children and their families returned to the yellow house in Riverside. It was a lovely day in California. Many good memories were made.^[8]

Again in 1999, they celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary. An article in the Press Enterprise Paper read:

Eulalie and Ralph E. Barton, residents of Riverside since 1944, marked their 60th anniversary Sept. 29, [1999].
Mr. and Mrs. Barton were married at First Baptist Church in Waterloo, Iowa, on Sept. 29, 1939. Mr. Barton, who served in the Navy as a storekeeper technician during WWII, retired in 1984 as a general accountant for Riverside Community Hospital. Mrs. Barton worked at Camp Anza in civilian personnel during WWII.
Their children are:

• Nancy Brinkmann of Riverside, California;
• Laurel Clark of Fresno, California;
• Richard Barton of Stoughton, Wisconsin,
• Becky Buffington of Banning, California.
• They have 10 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Death

Ralph Edmund Barton Jr. passed away on Oct 1, 2003 in Riverside, California. He was buried in the lower vault, in plot SECTION 57A SITE 4016, at Riverside National Cemetery (Military Cemetery), Riverside, California.^{[11] [12]}

Research Notes

AKA middle name

Middle name research has been completed. It is "Edmund". All records not Edmund for Ralph Sr. or Ralph Jr. should be corrected. As his son, I have completed research into my grandfather's and father's middle name and am well satisfied with the facts. The preponderance of evidence proves that Ralph Sr. and Ralph Jr. were Edmund.^[8]

1. "Edmund" is Ralph Sr.'s maternal grandfather's first name Edmund Scranton.
2. Ralph Jr. has a very clear signature in his recognizable handwriting on this WWII discharge papers as Edmund.
3. Ralph Sr.'s Delayed Birth Certificate clearly shows Edmund.^[13]
4. Richard Barton (his grandson) knew Ralph Jr. (his dad) to be Edmund all of his life.^[8]
5. Edmund appears on all of Ralph Jr.'s children's birth certificates.^[14]
6. Ralph Jr.'s birth certificate is cursive and is illegible.
7. Ralph Sr.'s WWII Registration card shows Edwin (wrong).

Sources

1. ↑ "Iowa, County Births, 1880-1935," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V467-R34 : 31 March 2020), Ralph Edward Barton, Jr, 14 Nov 1916; citing Waterloo, Black Hawk, Iowa, United States; county district courts, Iowa; FHL microfilm 1,571,959.
2. ↑ "United States Census, 1920", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M8Y1-F21 : 3 January 2021), Ralph Barton, 1920.
3. ↑ "Iowa State Census, 1925," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QKQW-8WPZ : 21 June 2020), Ralph E Barton, Jr, Jr in household of R E Barton, Cedar Falls, Black Hawk, Iowa, United States; citing Cedar Falls, Black Hawk, Iowa, United States, Iowa State Historical Department, Des Moines; FHL microfilm .
4. ↑ "United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XMNC-1K2 : accessed 14 January 2021), Ralph Barton, Waterloo, Black Hawk, Iowa, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 25, sheet 10B, line 88, family 261, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 642; FHL microfilm 2,340,377.
5. ↑ Marriage Record: (Ancestry.com Iowa, U.S., Marriage Records, 1880-1951; Original Data: Iowa Department of Public Health. Iowa Marriage Records, 1923–37. Microfilm. Record Group 048. State Historical Society of Iowa, Des Moines, Iowa; .1939 1 (Adair County Thru Cickasaw County) Image * Ancestry Sharing Link
6. ↑ "United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KMT3-ZFH : 28 February 2020), Ralph Barton, Ward 4, Waterloo, East Waterloo Township, Black Hawk, Iowa, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 7-42, sheet 15B, line 47, family 387, Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940, NARA digital publication T627. Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790 - 2007, RG 29. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012, roll 1140.
7. ↑ "Iowa, Birth Records, 1921-1942," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QP82-PVXD : 28 October 2019), Eulalie Evans Closson in entry for Nancy Kay Barton, 3 Sep 1940; citing Birth, Waterloo, Black Hawk, Iowa, United States, State Historical Society of Iowa, Des Moines.
8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 8.6} First-hand knowledge of stories told to his son, Richard A. H. Barton.
9. ↑ https://catalog.archives.gov/id/3995177 - ARC Identifier: 3995177 - Search Identifier: siWWI Navy Enlisted Block Barton
10. ↑ One example of their residence - "United States Public Records, 1970-2009", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QJXB-Q9VR : 6 June 2020), Jr Ralph E Barton, 1999-2002.
11. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (: accessed 19 February 2021), memorial page for Ralph Edmund Barton Jr. (14 Nov 1916–1 Oct 2003), Find A Grave: Memorial #35433935, citing Riverside National Cemetery, Riverside, Riverside County, California, USA ; Maintained by Richard A. H. Barton (contributor 50091508) . Headstone has the wrong middle name. See AKA above.
12. ↑ "United States Social Security Death Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:J5D4-FP1 : 11 January 2021), Ralph E Barton, 01 Oct 2003; citing U.S. Social Security Administration, Death Master File, database (Alexandria, Virginia: National Technical Information Service, ongoing).
13. ↑ "Iowa, Delayed Birth Records, 1850-1939," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q24X-M8XQ : accessed 17 March 2021), Ralph Edmund Barton, 18 Mar 1889, Grundy Center, Grundy, Iowa, United States; citing reference ID 227068, State Historical Society of Iowa, Des Moines; FamilySearch digital folder 101716639.
14. ↑ Grand daughter birth cert. - "Iowa, Birth Records, 1921-1942," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QP82-PVXD : 28 October 2019), Eulalie Evans Closson in entry for Nancy Kay Barton, 3 Sep 1940; citing Birth, Waterloo, Black Hawk, Iowa, United States, State Historical Society of Iowa, Des Moines.

See also:

• Living with Eulalie's parents - "United States 1950 Census", database, FamilySearch (ark:/61903/1:1:6FQF-L6PC : Sun Jan 29 19:28:08 UTC 2023), Entry for Nancy K Closson and Laural L Closson, 7 April 1950.
• "United States Public Records, 1970-2009", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KYRL-G6F : 9 January 2020), Ralph E Barton, 1988-2004.
• FamilySearch record
• "Family Tree," database, FamilySearch (http://familysearch.org : modified 09 February 2021, 04:45), entry for Ralph Edmund Barton Jr.(PID https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/4:1:LT3Y-N83); contributed by various users.