Brockett Barnes
July 20, 1922 — June 9, 2014
WILSON - Ella Brockett Wilkins Barnes, 91, died Monday, June 9, 2014.
Funeral, Thursday, 11 AM, Maplewood Cemetery, a gathering will follow at the home.
She was the daughter of William "W.B" or "Will" Brockett Wilkins and Elizabeth "Bess" Dixon. Born in Wilson, NC on July 20, 1922 at the Moore-Herring Hospital, she graduated from Wilson High School in 1939 and the Women's College, University of North Carolina in Greensboro in 1943. She married Richard Franklin Barnes on May 7, 1949 until his death in 1995.
She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband and brothers, William Brockett Wilkins, Jr. and Robert "Bob" Sherwood Wilkins.
She is survived by her two sons: Richard Franklin Barnes, Jr. (Anna Lassiter) of Raleigh and Thomas Dixon Barnes (Ruby Harrison) of Wilson, two grandsons: Bryan Lassiter Barnes and Stephen Wilkins Barnes of Raleigh, and a great granddaughter, Sunshine Tovar of Wilson.
A lifelong resident of Wilson, she kept friendships begun in kindergarten and had a wide circle of friends. Family was the center of her life and she enjoyed holidays with her sons and annual beach trips at Thanksgiving. During World War II, she was a volunteer nurse's aide with the Red Cross, doing her patriotic service. She worked for many years with Imperial Tobacco Company in their Wilson headquarters.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Alzheimer's NC, 1305 Navaho Dr, Ste 101, Raleigh, NC 27609-7448.