Ellen Barnes' Obituary
Ellen Barnes passed October 10, 2016, following a brief illness. She was 93.
Graveside services celebrating her life will be held at Lakeview Memorial Gardens in Longview, Texas October 13, at 10:00 am.
Ellen was born February 7, 1923, in Lindale, TX. She was the first of four children born to Charlie and Christene Lee Tucker. As a carpenter and wood carver, Charlie’s occupation took the family to various towns throughout East Texas including Mineola and Chandler where she started her schooling. The family eventually settled in Longview where she attended the First Ward Elementary School where she developed a life-long love of reading that served as her continuing education after leaving school in the 9th grade.
In her teenage years she met Clarence A. Barnes and fell to his charms, marrying him at the age of 17 and would spend 74 years with him until his death in June of 2015. The marriage produced three children, two rambunctious boys and a little girl.
Ellen was devoted to the care of her family and providing a loving home for them, no more evident than when she left her two boys in the care of her parents to travel across the country to care for Clarence when he was gravely injured by sniper fire in the Philippines during a military campaign in World War II.
Throughout the course of her life, she was gifted with ten grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren. She weathered the loss a sister, two sons, a grandson, a great-grandchild, a daughter-in-law, a son-in-law and most recently her husband. She took no greater pride than being called wife, mother, aunt and Mammaw.
Ellen is preceded in death by her parents, Charlie and Christene Lee Tucker; a younger sister, Jerl Smith; a grandson, Charles Barnes; two sons, David Barnes and Franklin Barnes; a great-grandson, Justin Polk; a daughter-in-law, Gayle Barnes; a son-in-law, Jerry Gibbs, all of Longview.
She's survived by her daughter, Sandra Gibbs of Longview; a sister, Alice Phillips of Austin, TX; a brother, Ray of Longview, nine grandchildren, 14 great-grandchildren and several nieces and nephews.
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