James Lafayette "Jim" Barrow

James "Jim" Lafayette Barrow was born December 8, 1932, to Eugene and Mina Barrow in Oklahoma City. His family prospered in the depression due to his father working for Phillips Oil until he was fired for drinking when Jim was in 7th grade. For a couple of years, they moved in with family in Homer, Louisiana. There Jim made several friends and had many adventures around the small town.
Jim dreamed of playing professional baseball, but was forced to drop out of Oklahoma University his first year in order to support his mother. He served in the US Army, maintaining anti-aircraft guns during the Korean War.
While on leave he met and developed a relationship with Marjorie Etchieson. On February 9, 1954, he went AWOL and hitchhiked from El Paso, Texas, to Roff, Oklahoma, to marry her in a small ceremony. The two began their home in El Paso before he was shipped to Japan. Their first son was born while he was overseas.
Upon Jim's return, they settled in Tulsa, Oklahoma where their second son was born, and eventually made their way to Bethany, Oklahoma before their daughter was born. He found employment at Western Electric in Test Set Maintenance (pre-computer IT). There he was given the nickname of "Yogi" after the popular baseball star, Yogi Berra. Jim developed a reputation for repairing TV sets, and it was not unusual for him to find one in the back of his Datsun pickup at the end of the day.
The family joined the First Baptist Church of Bethany in 1965 and attended there for the remainder of their lives. Jim helped with the sidewalk ministry, played piano for his Sunday School class, and taught training union classes.
In his spare time, he played baseball on his company's team. His kids were always amazed by the way he could throw a baseball straight up into the air until it disappeared before reappearing several seconds later and landing exactly where he threw it.
After retirement, Jim and Margie traveled with the senior citizens at church and joined their Shekinah Singers. This was the happiest time in both their lives as they visited Hawaii, Alaska, and Glorietta Baptist Retreat in Arizona, with the highlight being a trip to Israel.
Jim was preceded in death by his parents, wife, and brother. He leaves behind his children, James Douglas (Caroline) Barrow, David Barrow and Rebecca (Jack) Trammell; and grandchildren, Jonathan and Lena Barrow, Matt Trammell and Katy Olson. He is also survived by four great-grandchildren and a close family of in-laws.
Visitation at Mercer-Adams with family present will be Sunday, 6-8pm. Funeral services will be held on Monday, October 27, 10:00am at Bethany First Baptist Church with interment in Bethany Cemetery.