Beth Hall Barnes
72, Foxworth
Beth Hall Barnes, 72, of Foxworth, passed away on Friday, Feb. 16, 2024, after a long illness. “Bay” as many called her, will be remembered as an adoring wife, mother and grandmother, a fiercely loyal sister, a doting aunt and great-aunt and a devoted, supportive friend. She will be celebrated as a loving, beautiful, stubborn, witty, helpful and kind woman – who never asked but simply did and often sought no thanks or recognition for her actions.
She was born on May 18, 1951, in Columbia and grew up in the East Columbia community. She graduated from Columbia High School in 1969 and attended the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, where she received a bachelor’s degree in speech pathology and audiology and was a member of Kappa Delta Sorority. She married her fourth-grade sweetheart, Cass Barnes, on Nov. 22, 1972, and they made their home in Columbia. She began working as a speech pathologist in the Marion County School System, pausing her professional life to raise the couple’s two daughters during their early childhood years.
She later rejoined the workforce as the youth and program director at First United Methodist Church of Columbia, then as a speech pathologist at West Marion Primary School before joining the 15th Judicial District of the District Attorney’s Office as a victim assistance coordinator. She genuinely invested in her work and cared deeply for her colleagues, but most importantly, she made a lasting impact on many of the young people she worked with throughout the years. Beth initiated the church youth group’s participation in Mountain T.O.P, a service project-based mission camp in rural Tennessee. The first summer, she had only five youth members attend but word quickly spread about her leadership, work ethic, sense of humor and ability to do practically anything so that by the last summer that she drove the church bus to Tennessee, she had 40 youth attend the camp. While a speech pathologist, she often went above and beyond, leading a silent quest to get a list of students’ new coats for winter or secure a student’s family the presents they did not have for Christmas morning. She was a very tender-hearted soul and as much as she relished having these roles, some of the responsibilities weighed on her heart, too. In a surprising change, Beth left the DA’s office and became a self-employed small business owner in 2008. “The Button Company” sold every kind of button you can imagine to retailers across the country, and she absolutely loved it – the change of pace, the creative outlet and bringing her dogs to work. Her office space was located about a mile down the road from Cass’s office, so they regularly met for lunch, another perk of the job. She flourished with the button business until a medical diagnosis of Acute Myeloid Leukemia in May of 2018 forced her into retirement.
Outside of her professional life, she was an avid gardener and lover of nature. Butterflies, flowers and birds were her main interest. Her absolute favorite bird was the chickadee, but hummingbirds were a very close second. She passed that love down to her daughter, Carley, and to her two granddaughters, Libby and Marjorie, who also learned to love nature. She preferred the mountains to the beach, the spring to the fall and she detested a hot Christmas day. She was a fabulous cook and even better baker, and nothing came between her and that first cup of morning coffee, even conversations had to wait. She fought through setbacks from her illness – using a walker, then a wheelchair and sometimes a scooter, but never gave in to the option of defeat. On days when travel was a little more difficult to achieve, she enjoyed Facetiming with family and friends, but especially with her grandchildren.
She experienced two long remissions with AML and overall, lived with the disease for 69 months. She made memories with her family and marked precious milestones - traveling with Cass to North Carolina and Montana on separate occasions; attending sporting events, holiday programs and grandparent’s day at her grandchildren’s school in Baton Rouge, La.; celebrating Cass’s retirement as Marion County’s Chancery Clerk in December 2019; and embracing the complete surprise of a drive by parade in honor of her 70th Birthday. They sweetly marked their 50th wedding anniversary on Nov. 22, 2021, and their entire family has always been thankful for their enduring and loving partnership.
Receiving a cancer diagnosis makes any future date, any planning, any goal uncertain. She did her best to live with AML and not let it take away opportunities to experience life – she tried to plan as usual, experience fun adventures and continue to make joyful memories. But when the cancer began to return for a third time, she made the difficult decision to cease all further treatment plans and follow her own plan - returning to her home, with the assistance of hospice care. She did not fail or quit. She did not lose a battle with AML. She lived with AML successfully and simply ended their relationship on her terms. She returned to her beloved home in the holla, surrounded by woods, watching all her birds and spending precious time with Cass, Carley, her siblings and extended family members who meant the most to her on this earth. She was and will always be, a survivor.
She was preceded in death by her parents, M.R. “Snooks” and Mildred Martin Hall, both of Columbia.
Survivors include her dedicated caretaker and loving husband of 51 years, Cass Barnes of Foxworth; their faithful daughter, Carley Olden (Ty) of Hattiesburg; youngest daughter, Hayley Everitt (Ed) of Baton Rouge, La.; three precious grandchildren, Hall, Libby and Marjorie Everitt; their "Bay-Bay" - who she absolutely loved beyond words; three siblings, Sharon Kittrell (Hal), Sue Hall and Berkley Hall (Lisa); nieces and nephews who she loved as her own, Ashley Breakfield, Lauren Robertson, Patrick Peavy, Tyler Hall and Tommy Simmons; and 12 grandnieces and grandnephews.
Per her request, there will be no public memorial service. However, an opportunity for the public to express condolences to the family is scheduled from 4 p.m. until 8 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 22, in the sanctuary of First United Methodist Church in Columbia.
If you would like to honor her memory, please consider donating to a charity of your choice. One of her favorite charities that she regularly supported was St. Jude Children’s Hospital. In closing, may you always remember one of Beth’s favorite phrases, “no matter where you are, or what you’re doing, just always be “BE PREPARED!” Wise words from a very wise, funny, beloved and dearly missed woman.
Hathorn Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
