Gracy Pauline Halbrooks Barber

Mrs. Gracy Pauline Halbrooks Barber, age 89, formerly of Columbia, passed away following an extended illness on Monday, November 10, 2014 at Mathison Retirement Center in Panama City, Florida surrounded by her loving family.

Pauline always told her daughter, Janice that, “You’re no better than anybody, but as long as we love God, nobody’s better than you.” This summarized her deep faith in God that she held all of her life. She was a Christian who attended Trinity Lutheran Church in her later years, before relocating to Florida to be near her daughter, Janice.

On April 29, 1925, Gracy Pauline Halbrooks was born to Charlie Clinton and Bessie Izora Campbell Halbrooks in Centerville, Tennessee. She was one of seven children born to this loving couple and grew up on a farm, doing farm work with her two brothers and three of her sisters, as one of her sisters, Lena, had passed away as a young child.

Mack Dudley Barber became Pauline’s husband on December 22, 1944. They had nearly sixty-one years together, raising their family, until he passed away on November 7, 2005. They had two children together and Pauline was a wonderful mother, homemaker and wife. She sewed seeds into her children’s hearts to always love one another. She sewed physical seeds as well, loving to garden. Janice remembers that “she could put a stick in the ground and it would bloom”. She also enjoyed turning the fruits of her labors into delicious treats like the best blackberry and plum jellies you ever put into your mouth. In short, her life was her family.

Outside the home, Pauline worked hard to assist in providing for her family’s financial needs by working as a seamstress. She worked at several sewing factories in the area including Storktown Manufacturing, Edric Manufacturing and Lowenthan Sweater Plant, Inc.

She loved animals and had a dog named Princess who meant the world to her. She also enjoyed collecting “trinkets” such as china and glassware. She also enjoyed camping and boating on the Tennessee River. The whole family would gather and they would have such a great time together.

Mrs. Barber was not a quitter. She always said she was never going to give up and was going to keep putting one foot in front of another. And that is exactly what she did, up until she got too ill, she could out-walk all the nurses at the retirement center.
Janice says that it “took mom a while to leave this earth because God was making a special place for her”.

Pauline is survived by her children: Janice (Rick) Cunningham of Panama City, FL and Michael (Sharon) Barber of Erin, TN; grandchildren: Ricky (Amanda Lynn) Cunningham of Columbia, TN, Petty Officer 1st Class Patrick Barber, U. S. Navy and Petty Officer 1st Class Michael (Jennifer) Barber, Jr., U. S. Navy; great-grandchildren: Bradley H. Cunningham and Kira Lynn Cunningham; sister: Christine Inman of Lawrenceburg, TN.
She is preceded in death by her parents: Charlie Clinton Halbrooks and Bessie Izora Campbell Halbrooks; husband: Mack Dudley Barber; brothers: Leonard Halbrooks and Grady Halbrooks; sisters: Lena Halbrooks, Lucille Johnston and Bernice Garrette

Funeral services for Pauline will be held on Saturday, November 15, 2014 at 1:00 p.m. in the Chapel of Williams Funeral Home in Columbia with Pastor Jacob Heine officiating. Burial will follow at Downey Cemetery in Hohenwald, Tennessee. The family will visit with friends on Friday, November 14, 2014 from 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. also at the funeral home.

Rick Cunningham, Ricky Cunningham, Patrick Barber and other family and friends will serve as pallbearers. Michael Barber will be an honorary pallbearer.

Williams Funeral Home is assisting the family with the arrangements and online condolences may be made at www.williamsfh.com .