From humble beginnings in the town of Joelton in Davidson County, Tennessee Clara was the second born child of Robert Frank Barnes (1884 – 1957) and Martha Bell Reeder (1881 – 1950). I can recall her telling me a story of seeing something red flying around in the sky during her youth as she was lingering about in the old Cherokee Indian burial grounds. she said, "I thought it was the Devil, coming to get me for being there."
Turn's out it was just the first airplane she had ever seen. She would sit quietly and sew while watching shows on the television like "Price is Right" (she did comment many times of how she thought Bob Barker was so handsome) as well as her soap's, such as "Guiding Light" and "The Young and the Restless.''
On 29 September, 1988 my Dad "Jack" and I went over to visit with her. It was around
5:30 p.m. that evening and I overheard my Dad ask her how her doctor's visit had gone that day. She told him, " It doesn't matter, I'm not going to make it but another day or two anyway." I gather that her kid's had all coerced her into going and having multiple test run, due to her repeated verbal confirmations of impending doom. The Doctor's had ran the test and found nothing wrong. She still insisted she was going to die. My Dad told her, "I'll take you to the Doctor's tomorrow and I'll leave Ezri here in case you need something."
She agreed and hugged him, they told each other I love you and my Dad left.
She came in and closed the door. She walked over to me and asked, "would you like some ice-cream." I said yes and she fixed us both a cheeseburger and an ice-cream cone for me. She sat there at the table and watched me finish my cheeseburger. She then stood up and said, " I'm not feeling very well, I'm going to go lay down."
I saw her sitting there on the side of the bed, her hands were placed neatly by her side. I was laying on the couch watching some movie about a man that dressed up in a bird suit. She called to me and said, " Ezri, who's in here with you." I replied, "Nobody I'm just laying here watching the movie." She said, " Someone has to be in there cause I heard y'all laughing and running around." I knew she didn't feel good so I told her I loved her after I turned off the television, and I proceeded to bed.
The next morning I awoke and went to knock on the door which was nearly closed now. For some reason I didn't, I left out and walked to my house where my Dad was cooking breakfast. My Dad asked, "How's Momma doing," I said, " She was sleeping, I was going to wake her up but I knew she had trouble going to sleep last night." My Dad seemed very eager then to get dressed and go over there as she was a very early riser, and it was abnormal for her to sleep that late.
When we arrived my Dad went strait to her room and immediately I sensed something wasn't good. My Dad walked out and hugged me and said, "Mamma's dead," as the tear's poured from his loving eye's. I Love my Grandmother and miss her with all my heart. We talked about God mostly that week prior to her passing. The thing she had told me that stick's with me the most was, When we die we are present with the Lord. All of our Family will be there to greet us but it wont be like here on Earth, we will have no worries or regret, and we will be the same in the spirit.
I like to believe that the voices she heard laughing were that of our Family on the night of her passing. Blessed love to all that knew her is her everlasting legacy.
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