By: The longtime owner and publisher of the newspaper in this small Central Texas town was killed in a car accident while returning from the printing press to drop off copies of the paper.
Richard "Dickie" Barton Jr., 58, ran The Fayette County Record, a biweekly paper, for 18 years before his death Tuesday while driving from nearby Brenham back to La Grange, located about 60 miles southeast of Austin. He crossed into the northbound lane of a highway and struck another vehicle while trying to return to the southbound lane.
Barton died at the scene. The other driver, Larry Williams, 67, of Hempstead, was in fair condition Saturday at an Austin hospital, where was being treated for broken bones. No charges have been filed.
Barton assumed control of the 6,000-circulation paper when his father, Richard Barton Sr., retired. The family has owned the paper since 1976, according to the younger Barton's sister, Regina Keilers.
"He was very community-minded, and he was a very strong, intelligent and Christian man," said Aileen Loehr, the interim manager of the newspaper. "It's a very big loss to the community."
Barton was born on Jan. 3, 1948, in Norman, Okla. He earned a journalism degree from the University of Houston in 1974 and went on to serve in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. Barton was a member of the South Texas Press Association and Gulf Coast Press Association.
He was also a former La Grange City Council member and an elder of the First Presbyterian Church, where his funeral was held Saturday.
Barton is survived by his wife, Nonnie Barton; his son, Richard T. Barton III; and his daughter, Stacy Mehrens, among other relatives.
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