Virgia Leona Bennefield Barnes departed this life on July 20, 2016 at the age 85. She was born in Hoffman, OK on Sept. 11, 1930 to Mollie Smith Bennefield and William Henry Bailey Bennefield.

She attended the majority of her school years in Ramona, OK, where she graduated high school. Shortly after graduating high school, she married Eddie John Barnes, Sr. in Bartlesville, OK on June 12, 1948. They were married 64 and a half years before Eddie passed.

Virgia Leona worked at Sylvania Electric making radio parts while attending Oklahoma Baptist University, where she obtained her bachelors degree. Before attending Southwestern Baptist Seminary in Ft. Worth, TX, she served alongside her husband as a missionary with the Southern Baptist Mission Board with the Native Americans at Sallateeska Indian Mission in Shawnee, OK. After graduating from OBU, she taught at Lawton High School before moving to Ft. Worth, where she worked as an Emergency Room Clerk at the John Peters Smith Hospital. Virgia Leona moved to Bartlesville in 1966 to teach English Literature at College High until her retirement in 1992 from Bartlesville High School after 26 years of dedicated service.

She was a faithful, loving wife and mother to her family, as well as a committed pastor's wife who served alongside her husband at Ochelata Baptist Church for 25 years. She continued teaching Sunday School after his retirement and following his death.

She is survived by her three children and their spouses; nine grandchildren/some spouses; 19 great grandchildren; one sister; and numerous nieces and nephews; and a host of other relatives and friends who will miss her.

She was preceded in death by her loving husband Rev. Eddie John Barnes Sr. on January 16, 2013; her parents William Henry Bailey and Mollie (Smith) Bennefield; one son Byron Barnes; six brothers Johnny, Colonel, Kay, William, Porter and Irvin; and four sisters Sue Smith, Addie Leard, Luella Leard and Sallie Millhouse.

A wake will be held at the Ochelata Baptist Church on Monday evening, July 25, 2016, from 6:30-8:30 pm. Friends may also call for visitation Monday 9am-3pm at Davis Family Funeral Home.

Funeral services will be held 10 am Tuesday, July 26, 2016, at the Ochelata Baptist Church, with Rev. E.J. Barnes Jr. officiating. Interment will follow at the Ramona
Cemetery. Services are under the direction of the Davis Family Funeral Home.