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The Battons resided in a house made of brown rock at the intersection of Goodwill and Marshall streets in Minden. The house is across the street from the boyhood home of the [[singer]] David Houston and near  the football star David Lee of the former Baltimore Colts. The Battons had three children: Jackie Batton Reeves (born August 1938) and husband, Henry Rogers Reeves (born May 1937), of Haughton in Bossier Parish; James Howard "Jimmy" Batton (1943-1997), a former Webster Parish sheriff's deputy, and Dorothy Gale Batton Smith (born 1946) and husband, Harold Eugene Smith (1940-2011)<ref>Harold E. Smith obituary, ''Minden Press-Herald'', November 3, 2011.</ref> of Waynesboro [[Virginia]]. There were also five grandchildren.<ref name=obit/>

The Battons resided in a house made of brown rock at the intersection of Goodwill and Marshall streets in Minden. The house is across the street from the boyhood home of the [[singer]] David Houston and near  the football star David Lee of the former Baltimore Colts. The Battons had three children: Jackie Batton Reeves (born August 1938) and husband, Henry Rogers Reeves (born May 1937), of Haughton in Bossier Parish; James Howard "Jimmy" Batton (1943-1997), a former Webster Parish sheriff's deputy, and Dorothy Gale Batton Smith (born 1946) and husband, Harold Eugene Smith (1940-2011)<ref>Harold E. Smith obituary, ''Minden Press-Herald'', November 3, 2011.</ref> of Waynesboro [[Virginia]]. There were also five grandchildren.<ref name=obit/>

At the time of his death, Batton was divorced from the former Louise Zeagler Jones (1916-2004),<ref name=louiseobit>{{cite web|url=http://boards.ancestry.com/topics.obits/14629/mb.ashx|title=Obit: Louise Jones|publisher=boards.ancestry.com|accessdate=October 19, 2012}}</ref> the widow of retired [[United States Army]] police officer and Lieutenant Colonel]Rosamond Roy Jones (1912-1980) of [[Natchitoches, Louisiana|Natchitochnes]] and later Minden. A native of Caldwell Parish, Louise Jones Batton was heavily involved in the American Legion auxiliary and in various veterans causes. In 1993, she was named "Woman of the Year" in Minden.<ref>''Minden Press-Herald'', March 4, 1994, p. 1.</ref> Rosamond and Louise Jones had three children, Doris Jones Copeland, Rosamond Anne Gaston, and Phillip Lee Jones (born 1947). Rosamond and Louise Jones are interred at Gardens of Memory Cemetery  in Minden.<ref name=louiseobit/>

At the time of his death, Batton was divorced from the former Louise Zeagler Jones (1916-2004),<ref name=louiseobit>{{cite web|url=http://boards.ancestry.com/topics.obits/14629/mb.ashx|title=Obit: Louise Jones|publisher=boards.ancestry.com|accessdate=October 19, 2012}}</ref> the widow of retired [[United States Army]] police officer and Lieutenant Colonel Rosamond Roy Jones (1912-1980) of [[Natchitoches, Louisiana|Natchitochnes]] and later Minden. A native of Caldwell Parish, Louise Jones Batton was heavily involved in the American Legion auxiliary and in various veterans causes. In 1993, she was named "Woman of the Year" in Minden.<ref>''Minden Press-Herald'', March 4, 1994, p. 1.</ref> Rosamond and Louise Jones had three children, Doris Jones Copeland, Rosamond Anne Gaston, and Phillip Lee Jones (born 1947). Rosamond and Louise Jones are interred at Gardens of Memory Cemetery  in Minden.<ref name=louiseobit/>

==City council service==

==City council service==

A [[Democratic Party|Democrat]], Batton served on the Minden City Council in the former position of streets and parks commissioner from 1946 to 1962 and from 1966 to 1978. He was defeated in the at-large city council races held on May 12, 1962, as were all sitting council members.<ref>''Minden Press'', May 14, 1962, p. 1.</ref><ref>''Minden Herald'', May 17, 1962, p. 6.</ref> The dry cleaners businessman J. Travis Taylor (1914–1995) became the new streets and park commissioner for a single term.<ref>"Commission Posts Set for Council", ''Minden Herald'', May 24, 1962, p. 1</ref> Batton was a  brother of J. D. Batton, the former Minden police chief and then from 1952 to 1964, the Webster Parish sheriff. In 1948, J. D. Batton lost a race for Webster Parish clerk of court to the incumbent Thomas J. "Tom" Campbell (1895–1968), a native of Castor in Bienville Parish.<ref name="Minden Herald 1947, p. 1"/> Jack Batton's brother-in-law, Arthur Howard Shurtleff (1920–1985), was a member of the Webster Parish Police Jury, the parish governing body akin to the county commission in most other states.

A [[Democratic Party|Democrat]], Batton served on the Minden City Council in the former position of streets and parks commissioner from 1946 to 1962 and from 1966 to 1978. He was defeated in the at-large city council races held on May 12, 1962, as were all sitting council members.<ref>''Minden Press'', May 14, 1962, p. 1.</ref><ref>''Minden Herald'', May 17, 1962, p. 6.</ref> The dry cleaners businessman J. Travis Taylor (1914–1995) became the new streets and park commissioner for a single term.<ref>"Commission Posts Set for Council", ''Minden Herald'', May 24, 1962, p. 1</ref> Batton was a  brother of J. D. Batton, the former Minden police chief and then from 1952 to 1964, the Webster Parish sheriff. In 1948, J. D. Batton lost a race for Webster Parish clerk of court to the incumbent Thomas J. "Tom" Campbell (1895–1968), a native of Castor in Bienville Parish.<ref name="Minden Herald 1947, p. 1"/> Jack Batton's brother-in-law, Arthur Howard Shurtleff (1920–1985), was a member of the Webster Parish Police Jury, the parish governing body akin to the county commission in most other states.

In his first term as streets and parks commissioner in 1946, Batton and then newly-elected Mayor [[John T. David]] moved forward a plan to blacktop eight miles of Minden municipal streets, beginning with a short link of Bayou Avenue from Pine Street west to the Minden Cemetery.<ref>"Paving Program Announced by Mayor David", ''Minden Herald'', August 2, 1946, p. 1.</ref> At the time, most city streets were unpaved, and the city had used mule-drawn equipment. Batton was the city council president at the time of his defeat in 1962. He stressed street paving, curbing and guttering, and improvements to parks in his unsuccessful reelection bid.<ref>Batton advertisement, ''Minden Herald'', May 3, 1962, p. 9.</ref>

In his first term as streets and parks commissioner in 1946, Batton and then newly elected Mayor [[John T. David]] moved forward a plan to blacktop eight miles of Minden municipal streets, beginning with a short link of Bayou Avenue from Pine Street west to the Minden Cemetery.<ref>"Paving Program Announced by Mayor David", ''Minden Herald'', August 2, 1946, p. 1.</ref> At the time, most city streets were unpaved, and the city had used mule-drawn equipment. Batton was the city council president at the time of his defeat in 1962. He stressed street paving, curbing and guttering, and improvements to parks in his unsuccessful reelection bid.<ref>Batton advertisement, ''Minden Herald'', May 3, 1962, p. 9.</ref>

After a four-year hiatus, Batton returned to the council in 1966, when Mayor [[Frank T. Norman]] was unseated by the [[Republican Party|Republican]] Tom Colten and streets and parks commissioner Travis Taylor did seek reelection. Batton won his last term as streets and parks commissioner in 1974, when he defeated two intraparty opponents, Emily Doss and the businessman William J. Rabon (1922–1991), who had owned the former Star Furniture Company on the Shreveport Road in Minden.

After a four-year hiatus, Batton returned to the council in 1966, when Mayor [[Frank T. Norman]] was unseated by the [[Republican Party|Republican]] Tom Colten and streets and parks commissioner Travis Taylor did seek reelection. Batton won his last term as streets and parks commissioner in 1974, when he defeated two intraparty opponents, Emily Doss and the businessman William J. Rabon (1922–1991), who had owned the former Star Furniture Company on the Shreveport Road in Minden.

In 1977, as a council member, Batton abstained on a proposal to increase the salary of the mayor from $16,000 to $19,000 annually, effective January 1979. City employees were given an 8 percent pay increase.<ref>"Batton abstains on pay raises", ''Minden Press-Herald'', October 4, 1977, p. 1</ref> Ironically, Batton benefited from the higher mayoral pay, as he assumed the office on January 1, 1979.

In 1977, as a council member, Batton abstained on a proposal to increase the salary of the mayor from $16,000 to $19,000 annually, effective January 1979. City employees were given an 8 percent pay increase.<ref>"Batton abstains on pay raises", ''Minden Press-Herald'', October 4, 1977, p. 1</ref> Ironically, Batton benefited from the higher mayoral pay, as he assumed the office on January 1, 1979.