James “Gaylord” Barnhart, 78, Elgin, died Saturday, January 26, 2013 at Sanford Health, Bismarck. Gaylord’s Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10 a.m., Friday, February 1, 2013 at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, Dickinson, with Fr. Keith Streifel as the celebrant. Burial will take place at the Medora Cemetery. Visitation will be from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., Thursday at Ladbury Funeral Service, with a prayer services at 7 p.m., with Deacon Al Schwindt presiding.
He was born on January 16, 1935 to Jim and Hattie (Godfrey) Barnhart, and was raised in Medora. He married Irene Emma Reiche, who survives, on May 9, 1958. They adopted a son, John William Barnhart in 1963 and a daughter, Kelly Anne (Barnhart) Hoffman in 1965.
Gaylord was a honky-tonk musician who played in bars, at parties, dances, nursing homes, senior citizen activities and family events all his life. He spent 23 years as a Ford mechanic and 12 years as the maintenance director for a meat packaging plant. He was a jack-of-all-trades who could fix anything and always did.
His family was always the most important thing in his life. He always had a smile and a good word for everyone. He never met a stranger.
He is survived by his wife; his daughter; one brother, Clifford (Delores) Barnhart; one sister, Joan (Jack) Johnson; numerous nieces and nephews; and one grandson, James Dallas Barnhart of Chino, Calif.
He was preceded in death by his son John William Barnhart who passed away January 10, 2011; his parents, Leslie M. “Jim” and Hattie Barnhart; two sisters, LaDelpha (John) Nunn and Gloria (Max) Wilson; and two brothers, Gerald (Dorothy) Barnhart and Leland “Miles” Barnhart.
