Barton 'Bart' Lester Rees

Former Northern Nevada resident Barton 'Bart' Lester Rees died Aug. 17, 2009, in Overland Park, Kan.

Born Feb. 13, 1915, in Washington, D.C., he attended college in Montana to be a forester, but World War II forced his return to Virginia and he never finished.

He retired as a design and electric engineer in 1985, and moved to Carson City. With Social Security as his only income, he acquired a 20-foot trailer that needed some work and turned it into a home. He was mechanically inclined and ingenious with his ideas for weathering the Nevada winters in a trailer, said daughter Sandra Hallet.

He moved to Wellington in Smith Valley in 1987 and later lived in Weed Heights outside of Yerington.

Mr. Rees enjoyed the many public campgrounds throughout Northern Nevada over the years, staying the maximum time allowed each summer, always getting to know the campground host, and investigating the area by foot. He enjoyed spending time in the libraries, especially the main library in Carson City. He wasn't a gambler, but he was very grateful for their dining rooms where he could get a meal or just a piece of pie and coffee within his budget.

He loved Northern Nevadans' forward thinking concerning solar energy and other environmental issues, which were very important to him all his life. He loved the combination of wide open spaces, clean air, desert, mountains, lakes, mining, wildlife, and the seasons.

He is survived by sister Virginia Friedman of Richmond, Va.; two daughters, Sandra Hallet and Kim Haben of Kansas; son Bruce Rees of Utah; eight grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren. A private memorial was held in Overland Park, Kan., followed by a funeral in Orem, Utah, where he is buried.