Services for Miss Leonora Barrett were held in the Anson Methodist Church. She came to Texas with her parents in 1888 settling first in Bell County. Her family moved to Jones County in 1889 setling on a farm home seven miles west of Anson where they lived until 1906 when they moved to Anson. Miss Barrett attended public schools in Anson and after graduating from high school, attended Weatherford College. After graduating from Sam Houston Normal Institute in 1889, she moved back to Anson and taught History and Latin in the public school. In 1891, she taught History and Latin in various rural school until 1901, when she enrolled in Southern Methodist University and received her Bachelor of Arts. She moved to Wichita Falls where she taught English until 1919, when she moved back to Anson to teach in the schools until her retirement in 1943. Through summer and correspondence work, Miss Barrett earned her Master of Arts degree from the University of Texas. After her rretirement, she was active in writing, publishing her first book, "Cameo Cuts" in1950. It contained her first sonnet, written in 1940, "If Anson Jones Should Speak." The book contained 62 other poems written by her from 1940 to 1950. Miss Barrett revived the matchlesss occasion of folk participation in the traditional Cowboys' Christmas Ball celebration in Anson each year. Miss Barrett started the first re-enactment of theCowby's Christmas Ball in 1934. The ball is a re-enactment of the original ball held in the old Star Hotel in Anson in 1885. The original ball was held in honor of a newly wedded couple and thus every year, a recently married couple from a pioneer famly leads the grand march. Miss Barrett was a member of the Texas Folk Lore Society, the Daughters of the Confederacy, Delta Kappa Gamma, women teachers' association, American Association of University Women, and the Anson Woman's Club, of which she was a charter member. Survived by three brothers - C.F. Barrett, T.J. Barrett, Howard Barrett; six sisters - Maud Dean, Mrs. Fred Hudson, Mrs. A.O. Strother, Mrs. V.Z.Rogers, Mrs. C.B. Gullette, Mrs. George Burley, Miss Arrie Barrett. Miss Barrett toook the lead in putting together a number of civic improvements and events that marked her as a leader and valuable woman in the history of Anson and Jones County.

Anson Western Enterprise
April 7, 1955