Carolyn Barron, 71, passed away on March 22, 2006, after a courageous, 11-year battle with cancer. She approached death in the same manner she lived her life: with grace, with dignity and with incomparable strength.
She was born Carolyn Faye Adams on Aug. 23, 1934, in Sikes, and grew up in a warm and welcoming home surrounded by friends and family. Within five minutes of meeting her, it was apparent that Carolyn was a genuine, solid, down-to-earth person.
Even at a young age, Carolyn was a quiet, traditional person who lived her faith every day of her life.
She went to Sikes HS where she was involved in everything the little school had to offer. She was especially proud of her athleticism. A half-court guard on the basketball team, she played all four years despite friendly remarks that she was "too pretty to be good at sports too."
In her spare time, Carolyn sang in choirs, where the other girls in her section crowded around her to keep themselves on pitch, and played piano for church and friends, a talent she inherited from her mother. She especially loved to take Baptist hymnals and jazz them up by giving them a different beat or changing the key.
After graduating high school, Carolyn went to Northwestern State University, where she excelled in student teaching and received her degree in elementary education, followed by her master's in education. Peers say she was a natural from the start, often adopted by her teachers as a favorite who could take on extra responsibility. She had endless ideas for mediating classroom situations and fellow teachers came to her for advice.
Thus began Carolyn's lifelong dedication to teaching. She taught in Junction City, KS, Baton Rouge and Natchitoches and was a faculty member at NSU. Peers recall that her students, mostly first and second graders, graduated with far more than academic skills. She helped them learn responsibility for themselves. She helped them prepare for life.
It was also during her time at Northwestern that Carolyn was introduced to the love of her life: Dr. Bennie G. Barron. He instantly fell in love with the sassy redhead with the unencumbered zest for life.
They married in June 1957 and had two daughters, Chari and Allison. From the moment their children were born, the lives of all the Barrons were braided together. When something piqued one person's interest, it became a family venture. Everything was planned around the them and, later, the grandchildren. Several close friends say they modeled their own families after the Barrons.
As the children grew up, the relationship between mother and daughters began to evolve. Not only was she a mother and role model, she became her daughters' confidant, their friend. This friendship also extended to her sons-in-law, with whom she shared a close bond.
Friends were another priority in her life and Carolyn was fiercely loyal in her relationships. Once she was your friend, she was always your friend.
Even when a loved one moved away, Carolyn had a way of knowing just when she was needed. Friends say she always called at just the right times and knew just the right things to say.
She was a connoisseur of good jokes and her vibrant laughter was a joy to hear.
No matter where she was, she found ways to touch people's lives. In a room crowded with people, she had a knack for making everyone feel special and important. Her inherent magnetism drew people to her, whether they were feeling down and needed encouragement or just wanted to be enveloped by her loving embrace.
Carolyn was also a member of the P.E.O. Sisterhood in Natchitoches.
Traveling is a family tradition and Carolyn was always a part of the "going and the doing," planning the next adventure. Even as her health deteriorated, she was in the middle of it all, though sometimes relegated to a wheelchair. Many times, the rest of the group would be huffing and puffing to catch up with this indomitable woman.
If Carolyn had a motto, it surely would have been, "Let's go!" She was always somebody going somewhere, someone who would take you along. Through problems, through thick and thin, she was always ready to go -- to the beach, to the races, to the slopes, out shopping, even if she was en route to a painful treatment.
Part of Carolyn's legacy is how she dealt with her illness. Despite the pain, discomfort and treatments, she never let her illness hamper her life.
She did the things she wanted to do. Friends say that when they were with her, they could almost forget she was sick because she was so careful to disguise her pain.
Her philosophy, even in her last weeks was, "I'm in a situation where I feel bad all the time, so I can feel bad alone in bed or I can be with my friends. And I would rather be with my friends."
Near the end, one friend revealed, "She was too pretty and sane to be one of those characters in 'Steel Magnolias.' But the thing is, she was a steel magnolia. She was the epitome of a Southern lady. She just wouldn't give up."
Carolyn is an inspiration - for her family, for her friends and for dozens of other cancer patients. Here was a woman who met her challenges fearlessly and with determination. Here was a woman who lived her life to the fullest.
Here was a woman who had cancer, but never let cancer have her.
Carolyn Adams Barron was preceded in death by her parents, Myra and Marshall Adams of Winnfield. She leaves behind her husband, Dr. Bennie G. Barron; two daughters and two sons-in-law, Chari and Kenny Vairin of Mandeville and Allison and Byron Nihart of Mandeville; and a sister, Van DeVall of Winnfield. "Linny" also leaves behind three grandchildren: Taylor Vairin, Marshall Vairin and Caroline Nihart, all of Mandeville.
Visitation will be held at Blanchard St. Denis Funeral Home on Monday, March 27, from 5 p.m. until 9 p.m.
The memorial service will be given by the Rev. Tommy Rush and Dr. Calvin Phelps at First Baptist Church, Second Street in Natchitoches at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, March 28.
Burial will be at 2 on Tues, March 28, in the American Cemetery in Natchitoches.
Pallbearers will be Dr. Randy Moffett, Avery East, Loran Lindsey, Don Morgan, Brett Knecht, Jerry Ferguson, Jim Eddlemon and David Sparks.
Honorary pallbearers will be Donald DeVille, Wayne Choate, Robert Adams, Richard Adams, Pat Eddings, Melvyne Primos, Michael Powell, John LeBlanc, Brent Hubbard, Ronnie Melton, Vincent Gonzalez, Jerry Godfrey, Ben Nihart, Brad Eddings, Taylor Vairin and Layton Adams.
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She was born Carolyn Faye Adams on Aug. 23, 1934, in Sikes, and grew up in a warm and welcoming home surrounded by friends and family. Within five minutes of meeting her, it was apparent that Carolyn was a genuine, solid, down-to-earth person.
Even at a young age, Carolyn was a quiet, traditional person who lived her faith every day of her life.
She went to Sikes HS where she was involved in everything the little school had to offer. She was especially proud of her athleticism. A half-court guard on the basketball team, she played all four years despite friendly remarks that she was "too pretty to be good at sports too."
In her spare time, Carolyn sang in choirs, where the other girls in her section crowded around her to keep themselves on pitch, and played piano for church and friends, a talent she inherited from her mother. She especially loved to take Baptist hymnals and jazz them up by giving them a different beat or changing the key.
After graduating high school, Carolyn went to Northwestern State University, where she excelled in student teaching and received her degree in elementary education, followed by her master's in education. Peers say she was a natural from the start, often adopted by her teachers as a favorite who could take on extra responsibility. She had endless ideas for mediating classroom situations and fellow teachers came to her for advice.
Thus began Carolyn's lifelong dedication to teaching. She taught in Junction City, KS, Baton Rouge and Natchitoches and was a faculty member at NSU. Peers recall that her students, mostly first and second graders, graduated with far more than academic skills. She helped them learn responsibility for themselves. She helped them prepare for life.
It was also during her time at Northwestern that Carolyn was introduced to the love of her life: Dr. Bennie G. Barron. He instantly fell in love with the sassy redhead with the unencumbered zest for life.
They married in June 1957 and had two daughters, Chari and Allison. From the moment their children were born, the lives of all the Barrons were braided together. When something piqued one person's interest, it became a family venture. Everything was planned around the them and, later, the grandchildren. Several close friends say they modeled their own families after the Barrons.
As the children grew up, the relationship between mother and daughters began to evolve. Not only was she a mother and role model, she became her daughters' confidant, their friend. This friendship also extended to her sons-in-law, with whom she shared a close bond.
Friends were another priority in her life and Carolyn was fiercely loyal in her relationships. Once she was your friend, she was always your friend.
Even when a loved one moved away, Carolyn had a way of knowing just when she was needed. Friends say she always called at just the right times and knew just the right things to say.
She was a connoisseur of good jokes and her vibrant laughter was a joy to hear.
No matter where she was, she found ways to touch people's lives. In a room crowded with people, she had a knack for making everyone feel special and important. Her inherent magnetism drew people to her, whether they were feeling down and needed encouragement or just wanted to be enveloped by her loving embrace.
Carolyn was also a member of the P.E.O. Sisterhood in Natchitoches.
Traveling is a family tradition and Carolyn was always a part of the "going and the doing," planning the next adventure. Even as her health deteriorated, she was in the middle of it all, though sometimes relegated to a wheelchair. Many times, the rest of the group would be huffing and puffing to catch up with this indomitable woman.
If Carolyn had a motto, it surely would have been, "Let's go!" She was always somebody going somewhere, someone who would take you along. Through problems, through thick and thin, she was always ready to go -- to the beach, to the races, to the slopes, out shopping, even if she was en route to a painful treatment.
Part of Carolyn's legacy is how she dealt with her illness. Despite the pain, discomfort and treatments, she never let her illness hamper her life.
She did the things she wanted to do. Friends say that when they were with her, they could almost forget she was sick because she was so careful to disguise her pain.
Her philosophy, even in her last weeks was, "I'm in a situation where I feel bad all the time, so I can feel bad alone in bed or I can be with my friends. And I would rather be with my friends."
Near the end, one friend revealed, "She was too pretty and sane to be one of those characters in 'Steel Magnolias.' But the thing is, she was a steel magnolia. She was the epitome of a Southern lady. She just wouldn't give up."
Carolyn is an inspiration - for her family, for her friends and for dozens of other cancer patients. Here was a woman who met her challenges fearlessly and with determination. Here was a woman who lived her life to the fullest.
Here was a woman who had cancer, but never let cancer have her.
Carolyn Adams Barron was preceded in death by her parents, Myra and Marshall Adams of Winnfield. She leaves behind her husband, Dr. Bennie G. Barron; two daughters and two sons-in-law, Chari and Kenny Vairin of Mandeville and Allison and Byron Nihart of Mandeville; and a sister, Van DeVall of Winnfield. "Linny" also leaves behind three grandchildren: Taylor Vairin, Marshall Vairin and Caroline Nihart, all of Mandeville.
Visitation will be held at Blanchard St. Denis Funeral Home on Monday, March 27, from 5 p.m. until 9 p.m.
The memorial service will be given by the Rev. Tommy Rush and Dr. Calvin Phelps at First Baptist Church, Second Street in Natchitoches at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, March 28.
Burial will be at 2 on Tues, March 28, in the American Cemetery in Natchitoches.
Pallbearers will be Dr. Randy Moffett, Avery East, Loran Lindsey, Don Morgan, Brett Knecht, Jerry Ferguson, Jim Eddlemon and David Sparks.
Honorary pallbearers will be Donald DeVille, Wayne Choate, Robert Adams, Richard Adams, Pat Eddings, Melvyne Primos, Michael Powell, John LeBlanc, Brent Hubbard, Ronnie Melton, Vincent Gonzalez, Jerry Godfrey, Ben Nihart, Brad Eddings, Taylor Vairin and Layton Adams.
-------------------------
Carolyn Barron, 71, passed away on March 22, 2006, after a courageous, 11-year battle with cancer. She approached death in the same manner she lived her life: with grace, with dignity and with incomparable strength.
She was born Carolyn Faye Adams on Aug. 23, 1934, in Sikes, and grew up in a warm and welcoming home surrounded by friends and family. Within five minutes of meeting her, it was apparent that Carolyn was a genuine, solid, down-to-earth person.
Even at a young age, Carolyn was a quiet, traditional person who lived her faith every day of her life.
She went to Sikes HS where she was involved in everything the little school had to offer. She was especially proud of her athleticism. A half-court guard on the basketball team, she played all four years despite friendly remarks that she was "too pretty to be good at sports too."
In her spare time, Carolyn sang in choirs, where the other girls in her section crowded around her to keep themselves on pitch, and played piano for church and friends, a talent she inherited from her mother. She especially loved to take Baptist hymnals and jazz them up by giving them a different beat or changing the key.
After graduating high school, Carolyn went to Northwestern State University, where she excelled in student teaching and received her degree in elementary education, followed by her master's in education. Peers say she was a natural from the start, often adopted by her teachers as a favorite who could take on extra responsibility. She had endless ideas for mediating classroom situations and fellow teachers came to her for advice.
Thus began Carolyn's lifelong dedication to teaching. She taught in Junction City, KS, Baton Rouge and Natchitoches and was a faculty member at NSU. Peers recall that her students, mostly first and second graders, graduated with far more than academic skills. She helped them learn responsibility for themselves. She helped them prepare for life.
It was also during her time at Northwestern that Carolyn was introduced to the love of her life: Dr. Bennie G. Barron. He instantly fell in love with the sassy redhead with the unencumbered zest for life.
They married in June 1957 and had two daughters, Chari and Allison. From the moment their children were born, the lives of all the Barrons were braided together. When something piqued one person's interest, it became a family venture. Everything was planned around the them and, later, the grandchildren. Several close friends say they modeled their own families after the Barrons.
As the children grew up, the relationship between mother and daughters began to evolve. Not only was she a mother and role model, she became her daughters' confidant, their friend. This friendship also extended to her sons-in-law, with whom she shared a close bond.
Friends were another priority in her life and Carolyn was fiercely loyal in her relationships. Once she was your friend, she was always your friend.
Even when a loved one moved away, Carolyn had a way of knowing just when she was needed. Friends say she always called at just the right times and knew just the right things to say.
She was a connoisseur of good jokes and her vibrant laughter was a joy to hear.
No matter where she was, she found ways to touch people's lives. In a room crowded with people, she had a knack for making everyone feel special and important. Her inherent magnetism drew people to her, whether they were feeling down and needed encouragement or just wanted to be enveloped by her loving embrace.
Carolyn was also a member of the P.E.O. Sisterhood in Natchitoches.
Traveling is a family tradition and Carolyn was always a part of the "going and the doing," planning the next adventure. Even as her health deteriorated, she was in the middle of it all, though sometimes relegated to a wheelchair. Many times, the rest of the group would be huffing and puffing to catch up with this indomitable woman.
If Carolyn had a motto, it surely would have been, "Let's go!" She was always somebody going somewhere, someone who would take you along. Through problems, through thick and thin, she was always ready to go -- to the beach, to the races, to the slopes, out shopping, even if she was en route to a painful treatment.
Part of Carolyn's legacy is how she dealt with her illness. Despite the pain, discomfort and treatments, she never let her illness hamper her life.
She did the things she wanted to do. Friends say that when they were with her, they could almost forget she was sick because she was so careful to disguise her pain.
Her philosophy, even in her last weeks was, "I'm in a situation where I feel bad all the time, so I can feel bad alone in bed or I can be with my friends. And I would rather be with my friends."
Near the end, one friend revealed, "She was too pretty and sane to be one of those characters in 'Steel Magnolias.' But the thing is, she was a steel magnolia. She was the epitome of a Southern lady. She just wouldn't give up."
Carolyn is an inspiration - for her family, for her friends and for dozens of other cancer patients. Here was a woman who met her challenges fearlessly and with determination. Here was a woman who lived her life to the fullest.
Here was a woman who had cancer, but never let cancer have her.
Carolyn Adams Barron was preceded in death by her parents, Myra and Marshall Adams of Winnfield. She leaves behind her husband, Dr. Bennie G. Barron; two daughters and two sons-in-law, Chari and Kenny Vairin of Mandeville and Allison and Byron Nihart of Mandeville; and a sister, Van DeVall of Winnfield. "Linny" also leaves behind three grandchildren: Taylor Vairin, Marshall Vairin and Caroline Nihart, all of Mandeville.
Visitation will be held at Blanchard St. Denis Funeral Home on Monday, March 27, from 5 p.m. until 9 p.m.
The memorial service will be given by the Rev. Tommy Rush and Dr. Calvin Phelps at First Baptist Church, Second Street in Natchitoches at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, March 28.
Burial will be at 2 on Tues, March 28, in the American Cemetery in Natchitoches.
Pallbearers will be Dr. Randy Moffett, Avery East, Loran Lindsey, Don Morgan, Brett Knecht, Jerry Ferguson, Jim Eddlemon and David Sparks.
Honorary pallbearers will be Donald DeVille, Wayne Choate, Robert Adams, Richard Adams, Pat Eddings, Melvyne Primos, Michael Powell, John LeBlanc, Brent Hubbard, Ronnie Melton, Vincent Gonzalez, Jerry Godfrey, Ben Nihart, Brad Eddings, Taylor Vairin and Layton Adams.
-------------------------
She was born Carolyn Faye Adams on Aug. 23, 1934, in Sikes, and grew up in a warm and welcoming home surrounded by friends and family. Within five minutes of meeting her, it was apparent that Carolyn was a genuine, solid, down-to-earth person.
Even at a young age, Carolyn was a quiet, traditional person who lived her faith every day of her life.
She went to Sikes HS where she was involved in everything the little school had to offer. She was especially proud of her athleticism. A half-court guard on the basketball team, she played all four years despite friendly remarks that she was "too pretty to be good at sports too."
In her spare time, Carolyn sang in choirs, where the other girls in her section crowded around her to keep themselves on pitch, and played piano for church and friends, a talent she inherited from her mother. She especially loved to take Baptist hymnals and jazz them up by giving them a different beat or changing the key.
After graduating high school, Carolyn went to Northwestern State University, where she excelled in student teaching and received her degree in elementary education, followed by her master's in education. Peers say she was a natural from the start, often adopted by her teachers as a favorite who could take on extra responsibility. She had endless ideas for mediating classroom situations and fellow teachers came to her for advice.
Thus began Carolyn's lifelong dedication to teaching. She taught in Junction City, KS, Baton Rouge and Natchitoches and was a faculty member at NSU. Peers recall that her students, mostly first and second graders, graduated with far more than academic skills. She helped them learn responsibility for themselves. She helped them prepare for life.
It was also during her time at Northwestern that Carolyn was introduced to the love of her life: Dr. Bennie G. Barron. He instantly fell in love with the sassy redhead with the unencumbered zest for life.
They married in June 1957 and had two daughters, Chari and Allison. From the moment their children were born, the lives of all the Barrons were braided together. When something piqued one person's interest, it became a family venture. Everything was planned around the them and, later, the grandchildren. Several close friends say they modeled their own families after the Barrons.
As the children grew up, the relationship between mother and daughters began to evolve. Not only was she a mother and role model, she became her daughters' confidant, their friend. This friendship also extended to her sons-in-law, with whom she shared a close bond.
Friends were another priority in her life and Carolyn was fiercely loyal in her relationships. Once she was your friend, she was always your friend.
Even when a loved one moved away, Carolyn had a way of knowing just when she was needed. Friends say she always called at just the right times and knew just the right things to say.
She was a connoisseur of good jokes and her vibrant laughter was a joy to hear.
No matter where she was, she found ways to touch people's lives. In a room crowded with people, she had a knack for making everyone feel special and important. Her inherent magnetism drew people to her, whether they were feeling down and needed encouragement or just wanted to be enveloped by her loving embrace.
Carolyn was also a member of the P.E.O. Sisterhood in Natchitoches.
Traveling is a family tradition and Carolyn was always a part of the "going and the doing," planning the next adventure. Even as her health deteriorated, she was in the middle of it all, though sometimes relegated to a wheelchair. Many times, the rest of the group would be huffing and puffing to catch up with this indomitable woman.
If Carolyn had a motto, it surely would have been, "Let's go!" She was always somebody going somewhere, someone who would take you along. Through problems, through thick and thin, she was always ready to go -- to the beach, to the races, to the slopes, out shopping, even if she was en route to a painful treatment.
Part of Carolyn's legacy is how she dealt with her illness. Despite the pain, discomfort and treatments, she never let her illness hamper her life.
She did the things she wanted to do. Friends say that when they were with her, they could almost forget she was sick because she was so careful to disguise her pain.
Her philosophy, even in her last weeks was, "I'm in a situation where I feel bad all the time, so I can feel bad alone in bed or I can be with my friends. And I would rather be with my friends."
Near the end, one friend revealed, "She was too pretty and sane to be one of those characters in 'Steel Magnolias.' But the thing is, she was a steel magnolia. She was the epitome of a Southern lady. She just wouldn't give up."
Carolyn is an inspiration - for her family, for her friends and for dozens of other cancer patients. Here was a woman who met her challenges fearlessly and with determination. Here was a woman who lived her life to the fullest.
Here was a woman who had cancer, but never let cancer have her.
Carolyn Adams Barron was preceded in death by her parents, Myra and Marshall Adams of Winnfield. She leaves behind her husband, Dr. Bennie G. Barron; two daughters and two sons-in-law, Chari and Kenny Vairin of Mandeville and Allison and Byron Nihart of Mandeville; and a sister, Van DeVall of Winnfield. "Linny" also leaves behind three grandchildren: Taylor Vairin, Marshall Vairin and Caroline Nihart, all of Mandeville.
Visitation will be held at Blanchard St. Denis Funeral Home on Monday, March 27, from 5 p.m. until 9 p.m.
The memorial service will be given by the Rev. Tommy Rush and Dr. Calvin Phelps at First Baptist Church, Second Street in Natchitoches at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, March 28.
Burial will be at 2 on Tues, March 28, in the American Cemetery in Natchitoches.
Pallbearers will be Dr. Randy Moffett, Avery East, Loran Lindsey, Don Morgan, Brett Knecht, Jerry Ferguson, Jim Eddlemon and David Sparks.
Honorary pallbearers will be Donald DeVille, Wayne Choate, Robert Adams, Richard Adams, Pat Eddings, Melvyne Primos, Michael Powell, John LeBlanc, Brent Hubbard, Ronnie Melton, Vincent Gonzalez, Jerry Godfrey, Ben Nihart, Brad Eddings, Taylor Vairin and Layton Adams.
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