Annie Ruth Barber

McDonough Chapel At the beginning of a decade that became known as the Roaring Twenties, a bouncing baby girl, Annie Ruth Miler, was born in Henry County, Georgia, Ola community to the late Deacon Oather Miller and the late Corine Calloway Miller. The baby girl grew and went to school at the Old Mt. Carmel Baptist Church. Around eight years of age, they moved to Atlanta and she attended the Asa E. Ware Elementary School. They later moved back to McDonough, and she continued her schooling at the Henry County Training School while growing up with her father and second mother, Alice Holland Miller. At the age of nine, she accepted Christ as her Savior. She united with the Old Mt. Carmel Baptist Church and was baptized by Rev. Isaac Mack. Being the oldest child, Annie Ruth had to help raise her other nine siblings. She was responsible for helping take care of the house and sibling at a very early age. This trained her to be a good housekeeper and she has loved to keep house ever since. She loved to cook, bake, quilt, can food, garden, sew, and use her hands to create beautiful thing such as ceramics, yo-yo pillows, flower stacks, and turban hats. She often won 1st place at the Henry County Fair for her canning, and ceramics in the 1970s and 1980s. For over forty year, she was a housekeeper with the Knights, Nail, and Alexander families. As a teenager, she sang quintet with a group that called themselves “The McDonough Specials” along with her sister Otelia Shepard, Laura Mae Stroud, Daisy Mae Ponder, and Ornree Wade. July 29, 1939, she was united in Holy Matrimony to James Climmie Barber, who was affectionately known to her as “Jack”, in a small house next to the former Wesley Chapel United Methodist Church by Rev. Wyatt. In 1940, she began her childbearing years. The marriage between Jack and Annie Ruth lasted 61 years until his death on August 9, 2000. From 1940-1961, they were blessed with eight children: James Edward, Jr., Mary Helen, Walter Lee, Virginia Carnella, Oather Robert, Henry Lewis, Willie Joe and Gloria Jean. She always says that the spouses of her children are her children too: Diane, Marie, Betty, and Milton. She has 21 grandchildren, 42 great-grandchildren, and 11 great-great grandchildren. Of the grands and great grands, 7 grew up in the house with them but they had a hand (and a switch called Dr. Green) on all the grands. To say she loved and was proud of her grandchildren is an understatement. In the 1950s, when they moved to the Chin Crossing community, they united with the Mt. Olive Baptist Church in (then) Flippen under the leadership of Rev. H. M. Alexander. Annie Ruth has served faithfully until her health declined at the Mt. Olive Baptist Church under several pastors. She served on the Mother’s Board, regularly attended Sunday School, Mission Board and OASIS. She loved people and in her 97 years and 9 months of life, she has touched so many, many people as a role model for a woman of grace and strong moral fiber. She has touched many through her hospitality, kindness and friendliness and has become affectionately known by so many at “Big Momma”. Many have adopted her as a mother figure personally and she adopted many as her children. Annie Ruth was preceded in death by the love of her life, James, Sr. (Jack) and three sons, James Edward, Oather Robert, and Henry Lewis. She leaves to cherish precious memories five children, two sons and three daughters, Mr. and Mrs. Walter Barber (Marie) of Rex, Georgia, Mrs. Mary Helen Russell of Atlanta, Georgia, Ms. Virginia Barber of McDonough, Georgia, Mr. and Mrs. Willie Barber (Betty) of Jonesboro, Georgia, and Rev. and Min. Milton Reeves (Gloria) of Rex, Georgia; Daughter-in-Law, Dianne Barber of Decatur, Georgia, twenty-one grandchildren, of which seven grew up in their home, Darryl, Shirley, Sharon, Cedric, Tashia, Dontavious and Desmond; forty-two great-grandchildren; eleven great-great grandchildren; three brothers: Rev. James H. Miller of McDonough, Georgia; Mr. Rogers Miller of Griffin, Georgia, and Mr. Clifford Miller of Atlanta, Georgia; a devoted and loyal caregiver, Mrs. Cassandra Stewart of McDonough, Georgia; The Miller Family of McDonough, Georgia; the Mt. Olive church family; and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, other relatives and friends.

Annie Ruth Barber

August 10, 1920 - May 5, 2018