Barton serves as Lincolnville volunteer for three decades
By ROWENA PLETT
Staff writer
Rural communities need people who are willing to serve in a variety of capacities.
Warren Barton is such a person. He and his wife Maxine moved to Lincolnville almost 30 years ago. He has been involved in city government and the local fire department.
Barton retired in May from his job as a full-time bus driver for Centre USD #397. He served the district for 23 years.
Raised at Pratt, Barton quit school at age 16, went to Wichita and took training in auto body work, after which he spent 35 years in that business.
After moving to Lincolnville, Barton worked at Donahue Corporation at Durham for five years.
He became a member of Lincolnville City Council, then served as mayor for three terms.
Barton was a hands-on mayor, doing anything that needed doing around the town. For a while, he had a police car which was used to show authority and keep order.
Barton also served as a local volunteer firefighter. He said one time he and Kenny Rindt were called to put out a house fire all by themselves.
Barton left Donahue Corporation to become a substitute bus driver. He later drove a special education bus and then became a regular route driver.
After Centre High School custodian Al Riffel was killed in 1995, Barton took his job and also drove bus.
One year later, transportation director Art Haefner was killed. Barton replaced him and served in that capacity for six years.
The bus headquarters had been at Haefner's farm, then was moved to a trailer house located where the current bus barn stands near the high school.
Barton worked to keep everything running smoothly. All maintenance work was done outdoors.
Returning one morning from his bus route, Barton saw smoke coming from the trailer house. The building subsequently burned to the ground, leaving him without an office for awhile.
Barton was a regular route driver when he retired this spring. He said he got stuck a few times during his years as bus driver and once had a wreck while driving an empty bus.
He said for the most part the students didn't cause problems, but he had a unique way of dealing with them when they did.
"I had a theory that if they were doing anything to cause trouble, I asked them if they wanted to sit in the front seat or go to the principal's office," he said. "Of course, they, especially the older kids, didn't want to sit in the front seat."
Other times, if things got rowdy, he stopped the bus and made everyone sit there for five or 10 minutes.
Barton thought he was finished driving bus when he retired this spring, but the current transportation director, Steve Smith, persuaded him to be his substitute. The short route provides transportation for the 68 students living in and around Lincolnville.
Throughout his time at Lincolnville, Barton has gained a reputation as a handyman. He does such things as repairing bicycles and lawn mowers and doing minor car body work.
Warren and Maxine have been married 35 years. They each have three children from previous marriages. Maxine's daughter Sharon and husband Clay Simons and family live in Lincolnville.
Warren's son Junior was featured in the Aug. 7 issue of The Wichita Eagle. He owns several Chargers painted identical to Bo and Luke's car in "The Dukes of Hazzard."
He got two of the vintage cars signed up for a chance to be in the recently-released movie version of the television show.
One of the vehicles was filmed as it was "jumped" over the freeway. A special effects crew used a catapult to fire the engine-less Charger through the air.
Junior traveled to the set in Baton Rouge, La., and was filmed in the background a few times.
He said he didn't do it for the money but because of his love for the Charger. The movie producers purchased the two bright-orange cars for $1 apiece and sold them back for $1.50 each after the filming.
