James "Duffy" Barton

James “Duffy” Barton, 69, of St. Cloud, Minnesota passed away peacefully with his family at his side on Saturday, December 13, 2025. A Memorial Mass of Christian Burial will be held at the St. Joseph Catholic Church, St. Joseph, Minnesota on Tuesday, December 23, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. Rev. Bradley Jenniges OSB will officiate. Visitation will be held at Heritage Hall, St. Joseph, Minnesota on Monday, December 22, 2025, from 4:00-7:00 p.m. and one hour prior to Mass on Tuesday. Parish Prayers will begin at 4:00 p.m. on Monday at Heritage Hall.

Duffy was born on November 2, 1956, to James and Delia (MacDuffie) Barton in Fort Polk, Louisiana. His father was in the United States Army and their family moved frequently. He joined the United States Army on November 13, 1973, just a few days after his 17th birthday. He served honorably for 5 years. After he was discharged, he went onto studying dance and nursing at Kalamazoo College, Michigan. His life took a new direction, when he became of truck driver. He drove for Anderson Trucking Service in 1987 and worked there until 2010. During this time, he met the love of his life, Lisa Lodemeier, and they were married in 1988 at Munsinger Gardens, St. Cloud, MN. In 2004, he was an Army Contractor in Iraq. He left Anderson Trucking to be close to home; he returned to truck driving in 2014 for Scherer Trucking, shortly after, Duffy suffered life-altering injuries, ending his working career.

He enjoyed shopping, 70’s music, cars, spending time with his wife, and travelling with Lisa. He was the sweetest and kindest man, Duffy made friends wherever he went, including the mall, where he walked daily. Duffy was humble and genuine and will be deeply missed.

He was preceded in death by his parents, James and Delia Barton; son, James B. Barton; sister, Andrea Gray; nephews, Will Floyd and Joshua Ramirez; and grandson, Gauge McGee.
Duffy is survived by his beloved wife, Lisa; daughter, Regina (Shawn) Somers; stepson, Josh (Kelly) Evans; sister, Mary (Lily) Krout; grandchildren, James, Elliot, Connor, Corey, Kaila; great-grandson, Brendon; and many other family and friends.

A special thank you to Comfort Keepers and their entire team for taking such wonderful care of Duffy the last 10 years. An additional thank you to CentraCare Hospice for their care in his final days.