James H. Barstow   August 20, 1940 - September 2, 2019

1940 – 2019

Jim was born 8-20-40 in Waldoboro, ME, the son of Faustina Sidelinger and Wilson Barstow. He grew up in Woolwich, ME, graduated from Morse High School, Bath, ME in 1958.

In 1959 he entered the USAF where, after training, he was stationed at Castle Air Force Base, Atwater, CA as a Crew Chief on the  F-106 Fighter Planes in the 456 Squadron. After discharge from the military, he worked for the Paul Harrison Almond Hull Company where he met and married his first wife Sandra Hammersten.   His first son William Marshall Barstow was born in 1963.  

In 1966, Jim started his own almond hull processing business on the Turlock Municipal Airport at Ballico. In 1969, he married Karen Ewing of Merced .  He served as manager of the airport for the City of Turlock for many years and was a private pilot.  

 Jim was an entrepreneur:  he designed equipment and built a business called Golden Fuel to produce woody fuel from almond orchard prunings, a business which thrived until the deregulation of electricity in CA shut down the 42 plants which had been built to burn agricultural and forest by products and urban biomass. In the mid 90’s, he became a scrap tire processor converting waste tires into finished products.  From the mid 70’s Jim was also a farmer, producing almonds in the Cortez/Ballico area.

Jim developed and ran California Independent Almond Growers from 1983 to 2002 processing almonds for a group of local growers. The Barstows travelled internationally to do food shows marketing almonds through the California Dept of Food And Ag Export program.   Friendships were developed with customers from many different countries who then visited in their home in Ballico.

Jim was an active community leader, coaching baseball and softball for Ballico Recreation, a leader in Ballico Boy Scout Troop 32, as well as in Girl Scouts. For many years, he led local Boy & Girl Scouts on high country backpacking trips in the High Sierras, including many ascents to the top of Half Dome.   He was an active supporter in Livingston High School FFA and sports programs where he frequently put on Thursday night BBQ for the football teams and coaches to review films.   

He was preceded in death by his parents and his siblings:  Kenneth Wright, Chester Wright, and Jane Barstow Barton. He leaves his wife Karen of 50 years, sons Bill Barstow, Brett (Amber) Barstow and daughter Jana (Rob) Nairn.  He leaves ten grandchildren and six great grandchildren.

A Celebration of Life followed by lunch will be held Sat Oct 26, 2019 at 11:00 am at Monte Vista Chapel, Turlock. In lieu of flowers the family suggests: Covenant Care at Home Hospice, Turlock;  Monte Vista Chapel Hospitality; or plant a tree in his memory at Ballico/Cressey School.