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= Barker Milford =

Barker Milford. ( born Joseph (Joey) Milford Barker July 10th, 1959)  An American author of "Catching the Katy ", - was an associate drug smuggler/distributor with the infamous Cowboy Mafia in the 1970's.

Early life~
Born in Oak Ridge, TN. in eastern Tennessee. He had a very modest family, His father J.B. worked for Union Carbide K-25 and Y-12 (1945-1961) disposing nuclear waste. Wilma Jo, his mother was a homemaker and worked in various hospitals and schools as a cook in lunchrooms. Being born with physical defects to his hand and feet, became self-conscious growing up among his, attending school and began associating with tough crowds for acceptance. Soon was smoking pot and dealing it occasionally as well as other drugs.

Joe didn't fit in with the popular kids and turned to the drug scene and people associated with it. Joe was the youngest of three sons to his parents, his older brothers were Johnny (16 years older) and Jimmy (9 years older) than him, so basically, raised as an only child. His family moved 18 times in 18 years in the 60's and 70's while he was growing up, making it even more difficult to establish any sort of childhood bonding. Living in various cities in Tennessee including, Crossville, Monterey, McMinnville, Cookeville and Nashville, TN. After he and his parents moved out of Woodmere Apartments in Crossville, TN., they lived and stayed with relatives on and off, before landing at his aunt and uncle's house in Crossville. According to his book excerpt, "My aunt and uncle we lived with were the only stable home life I had at that particular time in my young life, it wasn't mom and dad's fault, we all did the best we could do with what we had, but we had each other and that's what was important-it was the 70's, people had more unconditional care and compassion for one another then".

Move to Texas~
In 1977, After living in Houston with more relatives for 6 months, one more move to add, was to Beaumont, TX. his parents lived in French Road Apartments 1978-1979, moved to Longfellow Apartments from 1979-1984. After helping his mother and father move, Barker took a job at Thompson Seafood in High Island, TX., ironically was one of the fronts for the smuggling, money laundering ring eventually involved. After working at a Market Basket store in the produce department near Lamar University, He took a job at a Beaumont car dealership unloading engines from hauling trailers. Milford and another employee, James Hall, one of his co-workers at the car dealership he was employed. moved into Gaylynn apartments located directly next to his work.

Introduction to Cowboy Mafia~
Barker and James were frequent customers of the Tonga Club, a local exotic strip bar on College St. in Beaumont, Barker started an odd relationship with an exotic dancer only named Teston Patton.

At a house party in Port Arthur, TX. Barker was introduced after a chance meeting with a member and associate of Charles "Muscles" Foster the mastermind behind the Cowboy Mafia. He was only introduced as "Miles", the owner and operator of Thompson Seafood in High Island, TX. The Cowboy Mafia were actively smuggling marijuana from Columbia across oceanic waterways in 3 separate boats, The Agnes Pauline, Monkey and Jubilee.In November of 1978, DEA agents, state and local authorities were waiting at the docks in Port Arthur, TX. when the Agnes Pauline loaded with 200 lbs.of Columbian marijuana arrived. Retired DEA agent Daniel H Wedeman Sr.'s book "A Conspiracy Revealed" detailed the arrest. The case was tried under the RICO statute, one of the first crimes to succumb to the new racketeering law in the 70's.

Changing his life~
In 1982, after pleas and bargains with Texas law enforcement, in 1984 moved back to his native state of Tennessee, continuing his life of drugging and alcoholism until a 60-day stint in a drug and alcohol rehabilitation facility in 1994, introduced him to AA and NA. After a couple years of sobriety, relapsed back into his addiction, finally in 2005, he rededicated his life to Christ. His admission was, AA and NA definitely gave back his faith, but his higher power had really never given up since 1973 when my life had changed, "all the time God had kept me from landing in the grave or prison". "My head has always been hard, inside and out", but God gets to your head by way of your heart and soul.

Writing Katy~
In 2017, Barker began "Catching the Katy". "In order to write it, I had to re live the things that were so NOT what I am today, of course, I still have plenty of flaws, we all have flaws, it's a flawed world we live in, if we were all perfect souls, God couldn't use us for his will and purpose, you see, it's not about us, it's about us exalting him and his purpose in this world, anyone's best testimony is how they conduct their life."

Living in southern Tennessee in an area Barker call his "Valley of Insignificance" in solitude, after 2 failed marriages, and several failed relationships, came to the conclusion his major flaw was not able to pick the right person. "At 63, I've finally decided I just wouldn't want to put anyone else through that again".