Mary Alice Barnett

Mary Alice Pierce Barnett, 83 years old, of Jonesboro, Arkansas, died peacefully at home on June 8, 2023. She was born on February 3, 1940, in Gipson Switch to the late Johnie and Veda Pierce. She graduated from Valley View High School in 1958 and then attended Southern Baptist College in Walnut Ridge.  In 1962, she met and married Bobby Joe Barnett, Sr. They were married for 60 years and had four children together.

Mary served with her husband at churches in Arkansas, Mississippi, and Rhode Island. She was a pastor’s wife and homemaker but she served countless roles in the church alongside her husband. With the Lord’s leading, together they moved to New England with three small children and began their ministry there. They started the mission and then church known as Chariho Southern Baptist Church in Bradford, RI. They could tell you story upon story about how God provided in every situation and met every need, although God did it in His time and not as quickly as they would have liked, but always perfectly. She always carried a church bulletin in her purse so that she could invite people she met to church; whether it was in the grocery aisle, the Dr’s office, or the hair salon, she would invite everyone she met to go to church with her. Even though she would hardly tell him because she was often the subject of his stories from the pulpit, Mary was proud of her husband and was glad to serve the Lord beside him right up to the end of her life.

Mary loved to quilt and to sew and no one could sew like her. Countless clothes have been saved from destruction by her skilled hands and her frugal ways. Mary was also an amazing cook and baker, she even baked and decorated her own wedding cake. She often would babysit children as their mother’s needed and all those children could tell you about Mary Barnett’s cornbread, which was often eaten with milk.

Mary was an avid gardener and loved her flowers and her garden. She often gave away seeds or starter plants to people she knew and always wanted people to take pictures of her plants so others could enjoy them too. She could talk about flowers for hours and always made sure they were tended and watered, often watering by hand with countless (and there were countless!) milk jugs so that she could make sure the water got to the roots.

Mary was predeceased by her parents, her infant daughter, Anna Marie Barnett, her brother Jr Pierce, and a sister, Dorothy Pierce and two grandchildren, Zachary Morgan and baby Ennis. She is survived by her loving husband (and she would say an often thorn in her side) Bobby Barnett, two daughters, Fran (Brian) Ennis and Rhonda (Terry) Wright of Harrisburg and a son, Rob (Robin) Barnett of Morgantown, WV, her grandchildren Greg (Michale) Self, Daniel Powers, and Anna (Nathan) Williams and a great-grandson, Walker Levi Williams who is due in August of this year and a bonus great-granddaughter, Lorelei Duckworth. She is also survived by brothers Howard (Hulene) Pierce, Leon (Liz) Pierce and sisters Virginia Jones, Ruby Pierce, Patsy (Gary) Frasure and Betty (Larry) Jones plus a host of nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers, Pastor Bob requests that you consider a donation to Gideons International, P.O. Box 97251, Washington, DC 20090-7251 or BCNE, 87 Lincoln St., Northborough, MA 01532.

The visitation will be held from 5-7 p.m. on Sunday at Friendly Hope Baptist church.

The funeral will be held at 11 a.m. on Monday, June 12, 2023 at Friendly Hope Baptist Church with Bro. Greg Crabtree officiating and Emerson Funeral Home in charge of arrangements. Burial will follow at Friendly Hope/Pierce Cemetery with the active pallbearers being Rob Barnett, Greg Self, Daniel Powers, Nathan Williams, Brian Ennis, and Terry Wright.