Obituary of Lee P. Barger

Lee P. "Ee" Barger "former local business owner" Olean, NY-- Lee P. "Ee" Barger, of 2609 W. State St., and also a Cuba Lake resident of cottage 276 died Thursday (March 20, 2003) in the Olean General Hospital. Born May 9, 1907 in Jamestown, NY he was the son of Fred and Bessie Ballard Barger. In 1928 he married the former Rose B. Haskins of Falconer, NY who predeceased him July 4, 1986. Mr. Barger attended a one-room schoolhouse in Ellington, NY, first coming to Olean as an employee of the former Daystrom Co. He graduated from the Buffalo Technical Institute in electronics and started working for RCA in 1928, testing and repairing radios. In 1934 he opened his first radio repair shop, specializing in car radios. Mr. Barger's business, Barter's TV, Inc. grew throughout the decades in Olean along with the development of television, radio and also of sales of stereo sets. His son, Milton Barger, joined the family run business in 1965 where he and his son operated the business until his retirement in 1989 at the age of 82. Known affectionately to his family and friends as "Ee", he enjoyed hobbies such as fishing and playing pinochle. He enjoyed his summer home at Cuba Lake, and he especially enjoyed his great granddaughters Raechel and Courtney Rowley who meant the world to him. Surviving are 1 son and his best friend Milton Barger of Olean; 1 daughter Sandra Rowley of Allegany; 1 grandson Jeff (Alicia) Rowley; 1 granddaughter Jennifer (David) Roulo; 2 great granddaughters and several nieces and nephews. In addition to his wife he was predeceased by a son-in-law James Rowley in 1991 and 2 sisters Mabel Gustafson and Berdina Vergith. Friends will be received on Sunday from 2 until 5pm in the Casey, Halwig & Hartle Funeral Home 3128 W. State St. Olean. Funeral services will be held Monday (March 24, 2003) at 1:30pm in the funeral home. Dr. Anthony Evans will officiate. Burial will be in Sunset Hill Cemetery, Jamestown, NY. Memorials, if desired, may be made to a charity of the donor’s choice.