Meet Your Neighbor

Michael Barker and family

He grew up in McLean, but his grandmother lives here in Panhandle, and he moved his sweet little family here about 11 years ago.
He’s an engineering technician at Pantex, where he has been employed for 12 years. I’d say he’s a “technical engineer!” The man can build anything! He says it’s just a hobby, but he could make some serious money with his hobby if he wanted!

We had the privilege of watching the fence go up around his backyard a few years ago. Talk about technicalities and precision! It took a while, but it’s definitely one of the nicer and sturdier fences anywhere! The shop out in his backyard, which he erected with some help from his dad, is another example of his impressive talent. And the lawn around his home is an extension of his perfectionism. It’s pristine! You won’t find a weed or wandering twig in either the back or front yard.

This time of year, his focus is on his vegetable garden, which sits very neatly in one corner of the backyard. He’s a sharer, too! Very generous with his home-grown veggies. Not his black-eyed peas, though! “It takes too long to grow those!” he explained.

This engineer/gardener has also become a pig farmer, after much resistance. His daughter, who is actively involved in 4-H, begged and pleaded for him to let her have a pig. Knowing the truth about dads who let their kids have farm animals, he put her off for a while, but his wife says, “Once he agreed, he was all in!” He does the early morning feedings, which “aren’t bad,” he says, “until around December and January when the temperature gets below freezing.” He even allowed his picture to be taken with their pig last year after he grew his beard out and found that it was exactly the same color as the pig!

You might have seen this proud dad out on the baseball field helping to coach his son’s team. Now that his son is in an Amarillo league, you’re still likely to catch him out on the ball field or in his front yard working with him any evening of the week.
When he’s working in his shop, he likes to listen to Texas country or alternative rock music. He also likes to hunt. Mostly birds. He’s not into taxidermy, but if he ever decides to get into that, I’m sure his perfectionism will carry over there, too!

He’s a devoted husband to Kristi, a doting father to his 13-year-old daughter, Acacia and his 10-year-old son, Markus and a wonderful neighbor to everyone in the 900 block of Park Street! Those of us who know him are blessed to know him! Everyone else, meet Michael Barker!