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Barnes Family History & Genealogy

102,885 biographies and 187 photos with the Barnes last name. Discover the family history, nationality, origin and common names of Barnes family members.

Barnes Last Name History & Origin

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Summary

My Father, Harry Elmer Edgar Lee Pete Barnes came from Indian descendants. His Father was Choctaw Indian, his Mother was Chickasaw Indian. I'm not sure, but there is also some Black Dutch and Irish in there as well. One of the Parents was pure indian.

History

My Dad was from Van Buren Arkansas. He had one Parent with Choctaw Indian, the other one with Chickasaw Indian. They were all reared in Arkansas. My Father, Harry Elmer Edgar Lee Pete Barnes came from Indian descendants. His Father was Choctaw Indian, his Mother was Chickasaw Indian. I'm not sure, but there is also some Black Dutch and Irish in there as well. One of the Parents was pure indian.

Name Origin

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Spellings & Pronunciations

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Nationality & Ethnicity

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Famous People named Barnes

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Early Barneses

These are the earliest records we have of the Barnes family.

Sir William William Barnes Sr. was born in 1568 at Woolwich, Kent, England, and died at age 50 years old on May 7, 1619 at Woolrich County, Kent, England. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Sir William Barnes, Sr..
Ann Or Anna Barnes was born in 1620 at England, and died at age 70 years old on April 5, 1691 at Hingham, Suffolk, Massachusetts, USA. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Ann or Anna Barnes.
Mary (Barnes) Hoyt was born in 1638 in Salisbury, Massachusetts Bay Colony (Present USA), and died at age 89 years old on July 19, 1728 in Amesbury, Province Of Massachusetts. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Mary Barnes Hoyt.
Sarah (Barnes) Salmon
Sarah (Barnes) Salmon was born in 1662 in Southold, New York United States. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Sarah (Barnes) Salmon.
William Barnes Jr. was born in 1679 at Donn in Ireland, and died at age 52 years old in 1731 in Pennsylvania United States. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember William Barnes, Jr..
Hannah Barnes
Hannah Barnes was born on March 3, 1766. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Hannah Barnes.
John Barnes of Australia was born in 1788, and died at age 70 years old in 1858.
John Barnes of Australia was born in 1791, and died at age 88 years old in 1879.
Maria Barnes of Australia was born in 1794, and died at age 76 years old in 1870.
William Barnes of Australia was born in 1796, and died at age 76 years old in 1872.
Elizabeth Barnes of Australia was born in 1797, and died at age 73 years old in 1870.
Elizabeth Barnes of U Australia was born in 1799, and died at age 86 years old in 1885 in U.

Barnes Family Members

Barnes Family Photos

Discover Barnes family photos shared by the community. These photos contain people and places related to the Barnes last name.

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Barnes Family Tree

Discover the most common names, oldest records and life expectancy of people with the last name Barnes.

Most Common First Names

Updated Barnes Biographies

Joshua Barnes of Edgewood, New Mexico United States. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Joshua Barnes.
Thomas Crockley Barnes of Australia was born in 1906. Thomas Barnes was married to Ena May (Toy) Barnes in 1928, and died at age 77 years old in 1983 in Footscray, City of Maribyrnong County, VIC 3011, Australia.
Ena May (Toy) Barnes of Ballarat East, City of Ballarat County, VIC Australia was born on October 26, 1907 at Ainley St, in Brown Hill to William Toy and Hannah Bloomfield (Wood) Toy. She had siblings John William Toy, Alfred Bloomfield Toy, Ernest Toy, George Henry Toy, Dorathea Alline Toy, Alma Olive (Toy) Judd, and Arthur Edward Toy. Ena Barnes married Thomas Crockley Barnes in 1928, and died at age 97 years old in 2004 in Chile.
Bernice Barnes of Plainfield, Union County, NJ was born on May 13, 1926, and died at age 54 years old in May 1980.
Mary Jane (Barnes) Boles of Richard C. Boles, in Nashville, Davidson County, Tennessee United States was born in Nashville to Collett Mayfield and Rose Anne Shield. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Mary Jane Barnes Boles.
Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Anna Teresa Plichta Barnes.
John Barnes of Northern Ireland United Kingdom was born on June 8, 1876. He was in a relationship with Elizabeth Black, and had a child Herbert Barnes. John Barnes died at age 74 years old on January 29, 1951.
Herbert Barnes of Brisbane, QLD Australia was born on April 3, 1913 in Belfast, Northern Ireland United Kingdom to Elizabeth Black and John Barnes. He married Margaret Alma Morris on April 22, 1940 in Woollahra, Woollahra Municipality County, New South Wales Australia, and had a child Dennis Charles Barnes. Herbert Barnes died at age 72 years old on September 9, 1985 in Brisbane, QLD Australia.
Alice Verna (Goodes) Barnes of Coleraine, Southern Grampians Shire County, VIC Australia was born on October 29, 1917 in Merino, Glenelg Shire County to William Hannaford Goodes and Martha Jane (King) Goodes. She had siblings Winifred Martha (Goodes) Cooper, Hilda Agnes Goodes, Ivy Lillian Goodes, Melba Mona Goodes, Clarence Roy Goodes, and Gordon William Goodes. Alice Barnes married John Barnes in 1938, and died at age 76 years old on April 29, 1994 in Coleraine, Southern Grampians Shire County.
Melba Mona (Goodes) Barnes of Bendigo, Greater Bendigo City County, VIC Australia was born on October 14, 1919 in Coleraine, Southern Grampians Shire County to William Hannaford Goodes and Martha Jane (King) Goodes. She had siblings Winifred Martha (Goodes) Cooper, Hilda Agnes Goodes, Ivy Lillian Goodes, Alice Verna Goodes, Clarence Roy Goodes, and Gordon William Goodes. Melba Barnes married Thomas Barnes in 1939, and died at age 94 years old on September 10, 2014 in Bendigo, Greater Bendigo City County.
Alice Victoria (Eades) Barnes of Mont Albert, VIC Australia was born on August 20, 1893 in Fitzroy, City of Yarra County to Henry George Eades and Alice Annie (Thwaites) Eades. She had siblings Arthur Thwaites Eades, Herbert Norman Eades, Harold Earnest Robert Eades, Mary Eliza Lillian Eades, Henry John Eades, Alfred George Eades, Wilfred James Eades, Albert Victor Eades, Daisy Evelyn Eades, and Reginald Horace Eades. She married Harry Saltmarsh Barnes in 1915, and had children Thelma Alice Barnes and Keith Harry Barnes. Alice Barnes died at age 89 years old on October 9, 1982 in Mont Albert.
John Saltmarsh Barnes of Box Hill, Whitehorse City County, VIC Australia was born in December 1856 in Chelmsford, Essex County, England United Kingdom, and died at age 49 years old in 1905.
Julia Catherine (Bellamy) Barnes of Box Hill, Whitehorse City County, VIC Australia was born in 1859 in Collingwood, City of Yarra County. She was married to John Saltmarsh Barnes in 1883, and had children John Henry Barnes, Amy Julia Barnes, Harry Saltmarsh Barnes, Louisa Catherine Barnes, Elsie Beatrice Barnes, and Frank Cecil Barnes. Julia Barnes died at age 89 years old in 1948.
Frank Cecil Barnes of Melbn Australia was born in 1897 in Melbn to John Saltmarsh Barnes and Julia Catherine (Bellamy) Barnes. He had siblings Louisa Catherine Barnes, Elsie Beatrice Barnes, Amy Julia Barnes, John Henry Barnes, and Harry Saltmarsh Barnes. Frank Barnes died at age 61 years old in 1958 in Ashb.
Amy Julia Barnes of South Melbourne Australia was born in 1891 in South Melbourne, and died at age 67 years old in 1958 in Sandhurst.
Elsie Beatrice Barnes of Albert Park Australia was born in 1896 in Albert Park to John Saltmarsh Barnes and Julia Catherine (Bellamy) Barnes. She had siblings Louisa Catherine Barnes, Frank Cecil Barnes, Amy Julia Barnes, John Henry Barnes, and Harry Saltmarsh Barnes. Elsie Barnes died at age 63 years old in 1959 in Gard.
John Henry Barnes of South Melbourne Australia was born in 1889 in South Melbourne, and died at age 70 years old in 1959 in Fran.
Harry Saltmarsh Barnes of Box Hill, Whitehorse City County, VIC Australia was born in 1893 in Melbourne, and died at age 71 years old on November 19, 1965 in Box Hill.
Thelma Alice (Barnes) Anscombe of Dromana, Shire of Mornington Peninsula County, VIC Australia was born on November 16, 1915 in Carlton North to Alice Victoria "Queenie" Eades and Harry Saltmarsh Barnes. She had a brother Keith Harry Barnes. Thelma Anscombe married Ernest Raymond Anscombe in 1940, and died at age 75 years old in September 1991 in Dromana.
Dex Barnes was born in 2008 at Tulsa, OK. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Dex Barnes.

Popular Barnes Biographies

Nita Talley
Nita Pearl Talley Barnes was born to George Edgar Talley (1871-1937) and while her death certificate lists "Bertha Talley" as the mother, her siblings mother is identified as Elizabeth Hill (Jones) Talley. She had a number of siblings including Lytt Gardener Talley where all siblings are listed. In the 1950s census it shows that Nita was living with her aunt and uncle Annie & Louraine Nance in North Carolina. She married Richard Pearson Barnes (1894-1969) and had two children Ottis H. Barnes (1916-1917) and Nancy Barnes (1931-1931) who both died as infants.
Lowell E Barnes
Lowell E Barnes Dr. of Hiram, Oxford County, ME was born on June 1, 1924 to C. Lowell Barnes and Rose Barnes. He was the father of Lowell E Barnes Jr. Lowell Barnes died at age 70 years old on May 23, 1995.
Daughter of convict Mary King, who was transported from Edinburgh to Van Diemens Land in 1822.
Richard Bygrove Barnes of Off Reid Street, in Rutherglen, Indigo Shire County, VIC Australia was born in 1803 in Sydney, NSW to Richard Barnes and Hannah (Collins) Barnes. He married Mary Ann (King) Barnes on April 13, 1840, and they were married until Richard's death on July 22, 1890. He had children John Bygrove Barnes, Samuel Barnes, Sarah Bygrove (Barnes) Gill, Francis Barnes, William Barnes, Hannah Barnes, Caroline Barnes, Robert Barnes, Margaret Rose Ann Matilda ( Barnes) La Pouple, and Richard Thomas Bygrove Barnes. Richard Barnes was buried in July 1890 at Carlyle cemetery in Wahgunyah.
Nancy Cavender Barnes
Nancy Cavender Barnes of Murrayville, Hall County, Georgia United States was born in 1823 in Murrayville. She married John Millard Barnes. She would also marry John Millard Barnes. Nancy Barnes died at age 88 years old on June 19, 1912 in Murrayville, and was buried at Cavender Barnes Family Cemetary in Murrayville.
James Dale  Barnes
James Dale Barnes was born on November 7, 1938. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember James Dale Barnes.
Lindsey R Barnes
Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Lindsey R Barnes .
Ora Barnes of Okemah, Okfuskee County, OK was born on December 2, 1912, and died at age 74 years old in August 1987. Ora Barnes was buried at High Springs Cemetery in Okemah.
Scarlet Leigh Barnes
Scarlet Leigh Barnes was born on July 28. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Scarlet Leigh Barnes.
David Lee Barnes
Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember David Lee Barnes.
Frances Cornelia (Barnes) Brooks
Frances Cornelia (Barnes) Brooks was born on August 24, 1898. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Frances Cornelia (Barnes) Brooks.
Mary Alice (Rowson) Barnes
Mary Alice (Rowson) Barnes was born on June 21, 1903. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Mary Alice (Rowson) Barnes.
Charles E Barnes was born to Rady Barnes and Clarence Barnes, and has siblings Bessie L (Barnes) Haddox, Nolan Barnes, Martha (Barnes) Clark, Ethel (Barnes) Burge, Gladys (Barnes) Lindsey, Russell Barnes, and Roy Barnes. Charles Barnes married Jenny Belle (Elick) Barnes, and has children Karen S (Barnes) Price and Cindy K (Barnes) Benson. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Charles E Barnes.
Marie (Barnes) Brewer
Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Marie (Barnes) Brewer.
Channie (Barnes) Atkinson
Channie (Barnes) Atkinson of Falkland, Pitt County, NC was born on January 17, 1877, and died at age 91 years old on February 15, 1968. Channie Atkinson was buried at St John Baptist Church in Falkland.
Crystal Dawn (Barnes) (Beck) was born in Oklahoma United States. Crystal (Beck) was married to Altony Tyreese Beck on May 4, 2018 in Fort Worth, Tarrant County, TX, and has a child Altony Tyreese Beck Jr. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Crystal Dawn (Barnes) (Beck).
Lucille Barnes
Lucille Barnes of Raleigh, Smith County, MS was born on December 20, 1914, and died at age 90 years old on September 29, 2005.
Zola Marie (Gipson) Barnes-Gipson of Griggsville, Pike County, Illinois was born on November 20, 1918, and died at age 66 years old circa May 18, 1985 in Louisiana, Missouri United States.
Mary Edna (Barnes-Barry) Porterfield
Mary Edna (Barnes-Barry) Porterfield of Texarkana, Bowie County, Texas was born on November 6, 1930 to Lawrence Barry and Mary Margaret Tremblet. Mary Porterfield had siblings Shirley Barry Bennett, Cora Duffy Gilliam, and Marie Barry Flowers. Mary's partner was Harold B. Barnes, and they had a child Marie (Barnes) Brewer. She would also marry James Harold Porterfield, and they had children James Barry Porterfield, Harry Curtis Porterfield, and Lissa A. Adkins. Mary Porterfield died at age 78 years old on March 18, 2009.
Alven Lee Barnes was born on September 6, 1972 at Claremore Ok. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Alven Lee Barnes .

Barnes Death Records & Life Expectancy

The average age of a Barnes family member is 70.0 years old according to our database of 79,513 people with the last name Barnes that have a birth and death date listed.

Life Expectancy

70.0 years

Oldest Barneses

These are the longest-lived members of the Barnes family on AncientFaces.

Lilly Barnes of Lumberton, Robeson County, North Carolina was born on November 5, 1875, and died at age 110 years old in May 1986.
110 years
Florence E Barnes of Nashville, Davidson County, TN was born on May 11, 1896, and died at age 110 years old on March 5, 2007.
110 years
Daisy E Barnes of New Haven, New Haven County, CT was born on August 8, 1893, and died at age 110 years old on August 30, 2003.
110 years
Helen Barnes of Concord, Contra Costa County, California was born on August 4, 1899, and died at age 109 years old on March 13, 2009.
109 years
Lucy V Barnes of Fort Washington, Montgomery County, PA was born on June 14, 1896, and died at age 108 years old on March 21, 2005.
108 years
Emma S Barnes of Cherry Hill, Camden County, NJ was born on October 11, 1882, and died at age 108 years old on April 9, 1991.
108 years
Charles E Barnes of Vineland, Cumberland County, NJ was born on July 7, 1881, and died at age 108 years old on December 13, 1989.
108 years
Gilbert Barnes of Berkeley, Alameda County, CA was born on February 18, 1891, and died at age 108 years old on November 4, 1999.
108 years
Ina Barnes of Mount Olive, Covington County, Mississippi was born on July 2, 1870, and died at age 108 years old in July 1978.
107 years
Hattie R Barnes of Fayetteville, Cumberland County, NC was born on November 9, 1885, and died at age 106 years old on September 10, 1992.
106 years
Katherine E Barnes of Pittsfield, Berkshire County, MA was born on July 14, 1883, and died at age 107 years old on November 14, 1990.
107 years
Mamie S Barnes of Virginia Beach, Virginia Beach City County, VA was born on September 21, 1888, and died at age 106 years old on January 22, 1995.
106 years
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I have a Euncie Barnes living in New York. She married a Barnes fellow. Her Maiden name might be Thompson. They then moved to Michigan. She was living with William E Thompson and his wife Cinthia Sheldon..( in New York ) There is a George W Thompson married to Louisa Nodine. A Loomis Thompson. A few other Thompson 's . All these Thompson people are moving over to Michigan. A guy named Perry Thompson too.
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My Barnes were living in NY. Don't know where they are coming from? With the Thompson line.
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My Paternal father is James Timoteo Barnes, He was born Feb,25,1928 in Sta I Sur, Philippines. He was an Army Vet. and is Burried in Ft. Snelling National Cemetary, Minneapolis, Mn. My daughter & I are now trying to track down any family members that we may have in the Philippines or elsewhere. The Best Memories are all the things that Other People had told me about my father...How kind & generous he was, He Played a steel guitar & played with other Fillipenos in a band. He was a hard working man & dependable. I am saddened, Because I Didn't grow up with this wonderful Human Being. But I have hope that I may one day connect with more of our family.
Do you have any information where his parents and grandparents were from? Were they born in the USA?
Good luck in your search.
they were married in nolan county tx
I am searching for family names related to Kenneth Lee Barnes born abt 1958 married Ramona Ruth Clayton. Their son is my half brother Kenneth Lee Barnes Jr. Im trying to aDD names to his family tree but we know nothing of the barnes....he has never met his dad.
"Four Barnes brothers arrived in Baltimore, scattered, and we are from one of them." This story is vague, but it has a history. It was told by Mollie (Barnes) Gauld. She said her father, Elijah Hicks Barnes (1845-1933), told her the story. It is confirmed in a Bedford County, Pennsylvania history which says that Elijah's great grandfather, James Barnes, was from England and first settled in Baltimore. James Barnes died in Nelson County, Kentucky in 1795. His sons who came to Kentucky were Samuel, Elijah and Archibald. His daughter was Jemima, or Jemina, who married James Hamilton. Samuel and Elijah marry Willcocks sisters, living in Nelson County. A document says that Samuel died in Illinois before 1859. At that point aged, Samuel possibly traveled to Illinois with one of his children. Archibald married Sarah Atherton and lived in nearby Larue County, Kentucky. Elijah's son, Armstead, moved to Meade County, Kentucky, married Elizabeth Dowell and had 12 children. I have been compiling information on this family for a book. Information, clues, or leads appreciated. Thank you. [contact link]
MY GRANDPA WAS FROM SOME PART OF KENTUCKY...DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT PART BUT I CAN FIND OUT AND RELAY THE MESSAGE TI YOU AT A LATER TIME.. HIS NAME IS GERALD BARNES, HIS OLDEST SON GERALD BARNES WICH IS MY DAD IS STILL ALIVE IN TOLEDO OHIO!! I DON'T KNOW WHY BUT OUT OF ALL THE STORIES I'VE READ ON HERE I THINK THERE'S A POSSIBLE MISSING LINK I AM TRACI BARNES
You know it is always great to have company and do worthwhile things together. Well back in the late 70's we had such a meaningful gathering at dad's house. Fourth of July, Independence day, a day to celebrate our freedom with a feast!
So with temperatures in the low 100 degree range, dad and Lucky started talking about the ole days when company got together you would butcher a hog and have a feast. Well damn, dad had plenty of hogs and lots of time, hey why not! Welllllllllll, there is reason you butcher hogs, deer and the such in the fall. One is called it is just too hot in July, another is called flies.
But not to be deterred we went on with the celebration out to the hog pen with 22 rifle and a butcher knife. The idea is to shoot the hog dead, then cut the throat to bleed it. Remember that is the idea. Well as I remember the hog didn't just fall over dead like it was supposed to. It played possum, until dad got in there to cut its throat. He sure was fast back then. Good thing for having the butcher knife to finish off the hog and ready the feast. Dad always was good with a butcher knife.
Sometimes things just don't go as expected with dad and his brothers when it comes to doing things they did as kids. Oh yea we had the 55 gallon barrel, we had the water and memories of building the fire under it to get just the right temperature so the hair would just fall off that pig. But you know if you get the water to hot….and we did, it sets the hair. By that I mean the hair is sort of petrified into the skin. Makes kind of a butch hair cut in stone. Well of course that is what we did, otherwise this story wouldn't have much hair in it if you follow my drift. So with the hair set solid in that pig what could we do?
It did not take but a second for someone, you know how sharp us Barnes's can be, I don't remember who to suggest…SHAVING the hair off. Say that could work! We got the soap and lots of razors and began to give that hog a trim. But it was like trimming steel wool. By now we were all laughing and sweating like ….pigs, out of razors and still lots of hair to cut. Someone quickly suggested we should just burn off that ole hair. Yea that sounded like a good idea. So out comes the butane torches, we had two, to get this hog closer to the table. Have you ever smelled hair burning in 100 degree bright summer sunshine on a pig? We didn't stay with that technique very long. It just wasn't working with the silky smoothness we were looking for, plus the added heat wasn't needed. Ok, who has an answer on what to do next? Well dang lets just hang it up from the hickory tree and SKIN that hog like a deer. And so we did. Along with thousands of flies, guiding our every cut, not your ordinary little ole house flies. No, we had that great green blow fly variety, fresh from the cow...dung. Those flies were celebrating the holiday from the pig to our sweating bodies, back and forth. I am not sure which they liked the most. Don't you know everyone was really getting hungry for some of that barbeque pig right about then. Well that stubborn hairy hog, nor the heat, nor those big green flies, kept us from getting that meat from the hickory tree to the kitchen.
Now this is where you do the final and delicate cutting and trimming to get those meat portions just right. So dad got the ax and our big hatchet and we began to trim. It did not take long before we had that beast all divided up, bone chips and all slipped into pretty white packages wrapped and in the freezer.
I think we had sandwiches and chips that Fourth of July, oh but what a great day.
SOUTHERN FUNERALS AND OTHER SOCIAL EVENTS


I hate to miss a Barnes' funeral. They are every emotion a person can imagine rolled up into a celebration of the person's life and the family experience. I came from a close, loving family who dealt with all of life, including funerals, with a sense of humor, I was pleasantly surprised to find myself at eighteen in a family who did the same. Through the years I have missed a few of these sad and glorious Barnes occasions, but always with a personal feeling of loss.


Let me add that it is a prime occasion to hug a Barnes man. Now there is not a Barnes man that I have ever met who is not the cutest thing around. It is like going to some magical place where it looks like my husband is present in every age available. They are all just adorable.


To give a snap-shot picture of one of these emotional roller-coaster southern Barnes family events, I would have to go back a few years…keep in mind this is just how I remember it.


We received the sad call in the morning from David's Uncle Lucky. We were told that Uncle Tommy Dee had passed away. Tommy Dee and his wife Jo lived out of state from us, and David was asked to go to the family that lived around us to tell them the sad news. We heard family from other states were rounding up to drive to the area where Jo lived.


Now Tommy Dee was David's father's brother-in-law. He had been married to Aunt Jo for a long time. He was more like a brother than a brother-in-law to Bill, David's father. David hated it, but he went to each home and relayed the news. It was a couple of hours later, after David had returned home and we were planning our own trip to see Aunt Jo, that it dawned on us that we really should go ahead and order flowers. It also occurred to us that we did not know where to send the flowers. A family member gathered up her courage and tried to call Aunt Jo.


It was immediately apparent that we had a problem. Aunt Jo did not pick up the phone, but one of Tommy Dee's daughters did. The conversation went something like this.


“We are really sorry to bother you so soon, but we really need to know where Tommy Dee is.”


The daughter said, “Well, he's somewhere upstairs, and we can't get him to change pants.”


Yes, there was a problem. We found out that it was not Tommy Dee but Tommy Lee, one of Bill's brothers. Besides David's having to grieve all over again, David had to go back to everyone's house with the good/bad news. And we worried about where the family that had already left their homes.


The next hour David related to me how much he loved and would miss his Uncle Tommy Lee. I heard wonderful stories of Tommy Lee taking David hunting when David was about seven, not realizing that David had stole some booze from him and gotten drunk, stepped through the ice, gotten wet, and Tommy Lee building a fire to keep him warm. David found this experience bonding and remembered it with love. I once again heard about David being the designated driver when he was 13 during late night fishing and frog-gigging trips with all his uncles (guess why!).


But in the back of my mind I was worried. Had I gotten the names mixed up and caused double grief for some of our family? Yes, I had always been treated like a daughter, but a could see myself plummeting down to the level of a piranha; avoided and shunned by mankind. It was with a great sense of relief that Uncle Lucky called within a short period of time and mentioned that he had given me the wrong name. I am not often pleased when I find others make mistakes, but I will admit that I was exceptionally pleased this time that it was not me. Whew!


The funeral itself epitomized southern manners and courtesy. There were three older women, one who had taken a nitroglycerin tablet, who would not sit at the gravesite. MaryAnn had helped her mother, Aunt Virginia to the graveside and tried to her to sit down. Aunt Virginia shook her head no and said, “someone really might need to use the seats”.


David and I also got to meet Tommy Lee's current girlfriend. I had always heard her referred to as the girlfriend, but I was now hearing her introduce herself as his fiancée as she, a little inebriated, hung into everyone's car door and said she would always love him. This probably would not have struck me as being funny if I had not known that Tommy Lee's very wise daughters had already gone to Tommy Lee's home to change the locks.


No decent Southern funeral is ever without a “spread” after the services. On this particular day, everyone was headed over to Uncle Kit and Aunt Pat's house out in the country. The family usually heads that way for gatherings (As it does every year for the Main family re-union). The food there would put a millionaire to shame. We had all the usual fancy foods, but some wise friends and family had provided some of our southern staples such as fried bologna, greens, cornbread, and biscuits. Granny was finally able to eat a bite, and after a few trips to the stove to sop some green juice was able to pronounce herself “bloated”. Of course, we all snickered a bit. Besides being a great Granny, she has made this saying a little famous when she has eaten enough of something wonderful to just about pass out.


And as we missed Tommy Lee, we also rejoiced in the family. A family he was such an intricate big piece of. We visited, we laughed, and we ate. It was starting to get late, and a few decided they needed to get on the road and not start out too late. We were all feeling sad and a little mellow. But before we could get too maudlin, Murle started to the door, stopped, and addressed the crowd.


“See you all next time. Hope it ain't me”


God, you gotta love em and try not to miss a Barnes' gathering

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