Roundup Record Tribune & Winnett Times -

Barry loves fishing, hunting with friends, a good stew, and a cold beer. Since he retired from the Roundup High School as a shop teacher in 2009, Barry has enjoyed his favorite hobbies. One of his hobbies that has carried on into retirement from his career is working on small engines. These days Barry is often found in his "Hobby Shop" working on a mower or trimmer of one of his neighbors or friends. He likes to "putter" on these projects and enjoys getting these tools back to work.

Barry was born and raised in Glendive, but moved to Roundup in 1975 with his wife, where they raised their daughter and have been part of the community every since, for forty-six years. Barry's wife Ellen passed on last year, they had been married for fifty years. She was a young lady from Butte. They met four days after Barry moved to Bozeman, where they both attended college. They were married two years later. Both pursued and worked in an education career, he became a shop teacher, and she studied business and short hand. After moving to Roundup, the two became parents, and Ellen slowed her career to be a mother but eventually became the city clerk and treasurer of Roundup for about thirty years, using her business education degree.

Lura Pitman

Barry loved teaching and was very proud of the Roundup students that he taught. He valued getting the teens involved in the VICA (Vocational Industrial Clubs of America), and he felt that Roundup had some of the best students with some finishing in the top ten in the nation. He went on to tell me some of the students who have gone on to successful careers including his daughter Sonja. Sonja took an interest in journalism and began writing for the Roundup Record during her high school years. She took a course in journalism in college and eventually ended up working for the newspaper in Great Falls where she met her current husband. They now reside in Helena, where Sonja works in government employ, and has one son, Barry's grandson, who's photo resides proudly on his walls.

I was referred to interview Barry because of the vast repair work that he has done. Barry is not doing repairs as a business, but only as a hobby and to help others. However, finding a gentle soul who genuinely cares about the people around him was a joy for me. I hope that Barry's "Hobby Shop" is busy for many years to come, and that Barry has many fishing and hunting seasons ahead to enjoy.