Copy and paste the link below to take you to a story Tom Ineck wrote five years ago about Mike and an adventure he and Mike had together in the summer of '70.
Deceased Classmate: Michael Barton Date Deceased: July-1978 Age at Death: 25 Cause of Death: heart failure Classmate City: Lincoln Classmate State: NE Classmate Country: USA Survived By:
Mike was a gentle giant, a dear friend and a great musician who played guitar and sang in several western swing and honky-tonk bands. He had a great ear and learned how to play without formal instruction. At the time of his death he had started to take music theory classes at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. On the night of his death, he didn't show up for a gig with his band, The Midwest Ramblers. A friend was sent to look for him and found him on the floor of his apartment, already gone. To this day, his fellow musicians and friends still remember him fondly.
Mike became one of my best friends when I first came to Pius in our junior year. At that time Mike drove a pale green VW Bug, and with his "6' 8 1/4" frame, he wrapped his knees around the steering wheel when he drove. With me on the short side, my mother used to refer to us as Mutt & Jeff from the comic strip of those days. I can still almost hear Mike's booming base voice, as resonating as the bass guitar he played so well. An "inhuman noise" goes out to you, my dear friend. You are missed to this day.
Steven Armbruster
Written by Tom IneckDeceased Classmate: Michael Barton
Date Deceased: July-1978
Age at Death: 25
Cause of Death: heart failure
Classmate City: Lincoln
Classmate State: NE
Classmate Country: USA
Survived By:
Mike was a gentle giant, a dear friend and a great musician who played guitar and sang in several western swing and honky-tonk bands. He had a great ear and learned how to play without formal instruction. At the time of his death he had started to take music theory classes at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. On the night of his death, he didn't show up for a gig with his band, The Midwest Ramblers. A friend was sent to look for him and found him on the floor of his apartment, already gone. To this day, his fellow musicians and friends still remember him fondly.
Dennis Maun
Mike became one of my best friends when I first came to Pius in our junior year. At that time Mike drove a pale green VW Bug, and with his "6' 8 1/4" frame, he wrapped his knees around the steering wheel when he drove. With me on the short side, my mother used to refer to us as Mutt & Jeff from the comic strip of those days. I can still almost hear Mike's booming base voice, as resonating as the bass guitar he played so well. An "inhuman noise" goes out to you, my dear friend. You are missed to this day.