James R. Barker

Broken Bow, NE- James R. Barker age 88 of Broken Bow died December 25, 2024, at the Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney.

Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, December 31, 2024, at 11:00 AM at the Christian Life Church in Broken Bow. The burial with Military Honors will be in the Broken Bow Cemetery. A visitation will be held on Monday from 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM with the family receiving friends from 5:00 to 7:00 PM at Govier Brothers Mortuary. Memorials are suggested to the Christian Life Church or the Assembly of God Church both of Broken Bow.

Jim was born in Corona, California to Christine and Pat Barker. They moved to Thedford, NE. and after divorcing, Christine married Alvie Wright. Alvie was like a father to him while growing up on a ranch south of Thedford.

While working at the Box T Ranch he became foreman of the Hay Crew at the age of 15. He graduated from the Class Of '54 at the Thedford High School. While attending a dance in Thedford, Dorothy Dishman introduced him to the love of his life (Lucille Saner) and they were happily married for 68 years. One of their greatest joys was to spend time together on their "Love Seat Couch" holding hands.

He entered the Navy, and they moved to California where they had a child (Patricia} who passed away 32 hours after birth. They brought her back to Nebraska in a '54 Pontiac identical to the one they have now. (It might be the same car!)

They stayed in Nebraska and started a machine shop in Merna.

Then his parents (after re-marrying each other after Alvie passed) asked him to help them on their farm in the Loup City/Arcadia area where he started a dairy, ran a garbage route in Loup City, operated a construction company (dirt), and sold center pivots.

He was offered a job in Broken Bow to start up the UPS Station and was their first employee until he had an operation from an old injury in the Navy that left him disabled.

He decided he could become an insurance agent while disabled and was the top Salesman for Financial Dynamics several times.

After retiring from insurance, he started a used car lot (JB Auto} and then started buying rental houses that are still in operation today. There wasn't anything he couldn't do!

But his greatest accomplishment was raising five kids - Janet Neaterous (Ken) Broken Bow, Greg Barker of Broken Bow, Robert (Rhonda) Barker of Loup City, Stan (Yvonne) Barker of Clarksville, TN. and Pam (Hunter) Goldsby of Broken Bow.

He loved teasing his 16 grandkids and 44 great-grandkids and they all lit up his world when around them!

He was a great influence to his family and friends and the influence will continue in his legacy. Several young men in the community have expressed the lessons they learned, work skills, and spiritual guidance from working with him.

What he enjoyed in his life the most was family first then fishing, camping, metal detecting, pinochle, checkers, '54 Pontiac, running the skid steer, Huskers, selling insurance and God in his life/ witnessing.

He was a very strong Man of God, and it was very fitting that he went to Heaven on Christ's birth!

 Jim was preceded in death by his daughter Patricia, parents, and stepdad.