Obituary of Mary Barnes

Mary Druscilla Walker-Barnes was born September 24, 1947, to loving parents Mr. & Mrs. Lankey & Rebecca Walker, Jr. As a child Mary loved to run her younger siblings and cousins, at her grandparents' home in Mounds.  She was practicing her mothering skills on her brother Ronnie, Cousin Carolyn and her Uncle Charles Lee.  She became a member of Mt. Olive Baptist Church as a baby, and baptized by Pastor Reed, as a child.  She was dedicated member of the Mt. of Mass & Women's choirs and active in the Women's Mission.   Mary attended Booker T. Washington 'til high school at that time she proudly became part of integrating Sapulpa High School.   Our Mom graduated in 1965, she was a baton twirler for the band and a glee club member. Mary was an accomplished clarinet player and she played the piano by ear.  She admired her teachers at BTW, so much she decided to work with children.   'Cause as quiet as it was kept, "Mary loved the kids!"  She attended Langston University after graduation and majored in Elementary Education.   On March 11, 1971 Mary was united in marriage to Jerry Barnes, Jr.  They had two children Kenya and Brandon.    Being a present in your face parent was very important to Ms. Mary.  She took Kenya too work with her until she was four, and taught head-start while Brandon was being taught in the next classroom.  She followed her children to Elementary school, as a teacher's aide and then substitute teacher.  She was always an active parent in her children's lives when they were young.  Especially church!  To be home when they were teenagers, Ms. Mary owned a home daycare.  She maintained a special bond with some of the children.  Mary operated the daycare until her younger sister, Priscilla became ill, and needed her.  Shortly after her sister passed she began caring for her mother.  Until she passed in 2006.   Mary, C.C, and Mimi were closer than mother, sisters, and daughters.  They were best friends.  If you saw one you saw the other two.  The trips around town and Tulsa are legendary.  Saturdays were their day to get out and, "Shop 'til they dropped."  Then they rode together on Sunday mornings to, Mt. Olive. Mary had a special group of girlfriends that called themselves, "The Clique," you could hear Mary laughing on the phone with anyone of those special ladies.   Mary's greatest joy was as she called them "Stinky, Bubba, Dru, Sugga Wuggas', and she was excited about her newest grandbabies, Aubrey and Elijah. She was especially overjoyed to finally have a granddaughter to buy frilly dresses and patent leather shoes.  Mary was preceded in death by her father (Lankey), mother (Rebecca), brother (Ronnie), and sister (Priscilla). Mary leaves to cherish her life and love, her daughter Kenya, son Brandon, and grandchildren, Aaron, Drushaun, Jordan, Christian, Aubrey, and Elijah. Nephew Trevan and brother in law Tony Riley, along with a host of other nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. Service: 1:00 PM Friday, March 13, 2009 at Mount Olive Baptist Church, Sapulpa, Oklahoma Cemetery: North Heights Cemetery, Sapulpa, Oklahoma