Erma Irene Swilley Barber was born to William Madison Swilley and Alzona Glisson Swilley. She grew up in the Riverview area near Brandon, Florida. Siblings were Loris, Raymond, Patrick, William Madison Jr. "Junior", Eugene "Gene", Evelyn, Patsy, Sandra, and Elizabeth "Liz".

Records of Hillsborough Co., Fl. lists a marriage in 1950 of Claude L. Whitt and Erma I. Swilley. Records of the same county and state lists the same as divorcing in Aug. 1956. This possibly was the first marriage of Erma I. Swilley.

Irene married in 1963, in Florida, Leaird "Slim" Butler Jones (born September 10, 1910). He died from cancer September 22, 1977.

Irene gave birth to a baby girl that passed away shortly after birth; she never had any more children.

She later met and married, December 18,1981, Billy Reid Barber from Marion, North Carolina. They resided in Tampa, Florida, where Irene had been residing, as she worked for Kash & Karry Foods near their home. Irene had worked for Kash & Karry since the age of 17 years old, as starting out as working just as a cashier. After her retirement, she and her husband Bill moved to the Marion, McDowell County vicinity of North Carolina in June 1990, where they resided at the time of Irene's passing away. Irene also worked for Walmart in Marion for a short period of time and then later worked for Winn-Dixie in Marion, as Merchandise Manager, until her full retirement.

Irene died of Ovarian Cancer.

Irene was a member of Bethel Missionary Baptist Church where she attended regularly. Services for Irene were held at the church on Saturday, August 25, 2001 with the pastor, Rev. Jimmy Upton officiating. Burial followed at McDowell Memorial Park. Irene is also mentioned on her husband Leaird Butler Jones's headstone at Garden of Memories Cemetery in Tampa, Florida.

Irene was my sister-in-law, but not just a lovely lady that my brother married. She was like a sister I never had...she was my best friend...a truly, wonderful person.

Irene was also like a second daughter to my Mother… they were best friends, also.

So with this, my family misses her very much, but are thankful for the wonderful memories Irene has left with us to cherish her within our hearts forever.

'Barbara-

My Friend and I

Together we thought we'd spend some time...

We walked the shops with treasures in mind...

As we strolled and gazed all around...

I realized a treasure was with me all along...

Your friendship surely was priceless...

My Friend, Irene, and having you in my life was Joy... without end.

I Will Treasure Our Friendship My Whole Life Through...

With A Special Joy.. Because Of You!

- A Parable of Immortality - by: Henry Van Dyke

I am standing upon the seashore. A ship at my side spreads her white sails to the morning breeze and starts for the ocean blue. She is an object of beauty and strength, and I stand and watch until at last she hangs like a speck of white cloud just where the sea and sky come down to mingle with each other.

Then someone at my side says, "There she goes!" Gone where? Gone from my sight..that is all. She is just as large in mast and hull and spar, as she was when she left my side and just as able to bear her load of living freight to place of destination. Her diminished size is in me, not in her.

And just at the moment when someone at my side says, "There she goes!" There are other eyes watching her coming and other voices ready to take up the glad shout, "Here she comes!"

Ps. 116:15 - "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints."

* I WISH YOU ENOUGH *

Recently I overheard a mother and daughter in their last moments

together at the airport. They had announced the departure.

Standing near the security gate, they hugged and the mother

said, "I love you and I wish you enough".

The daughter replied, "Mom, our life together has been more

than enough. Your love is all I ever needed. I wish you

enough, too, Mom".

They kissed and the daughter left. The mother walked over to

the window where I was seated. Standing there I could see she

wanted and needed to cry. I tried not to intrude on her privacy

but she welcomed me in by asking, "Did you ever say good-bye

to someone knowing it would be forever?".

Yes, I have," I replied. "Forgive me for asking,

but why is this a forever good-bye?".

"I am old and she lives so far away. I have challenges ahead

and the reality is - the next trip back will be for my funeral,"

she said.

"When you were saying good-bye, I heard you say, 'I wish

you enough'. May I ask what that means?".

She began to smile. "That's a wish that has been handed

down from other generations. My parents used to say it to

everyone". She paused a moment and looked up as if trying

to remember it in detail and she smiled even more. "When

we said , 'I wish you enough', we were wanting the other

person to have a life filled with just enough good things to

sustain them". Then turning toward me, she shared the

following as if she were reciting it from memory.

*

" I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude

bright no matter how gray the day may appear.

*

I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun even more.

I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive and

everlasting.

*

I wish you enough pain so that even the smallest of joys in

life may appear bigger.

I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.

I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.

I wish you enough hellos to get you through the final good-bye."

*

She then began to cry and walked away.

They say it takes a minute to find a special person, an hour to

appreciate them, a day to love them, but then an entire life to

forget them.

*

TAKE TIME TO LIVE....

To all my friends and loved ones,

I WISH YOU ENOUGH.......

- Author Unknown -

~Wishes Are My Own~

'Irene's "Barnie's Coffee Buddy" -

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