My father was born in Eldridge, Walker County, Alabama being one of eight children to the late Rev. Mays Milton and Vannie James Barnett and being the son of minister he lived in Kendrick, Virginia, Clyde, North Carolina and Bridgeport, Alabama before the family moved back to Greenville County, South Carolina around 1927. Much of his early educational training was in the many Baptist Mission Board Schools where my grandfather was teacher, principal and minister. My father was 12 years old when his father died in March 1932 and in June 1932 my grandmother and eight children were offered a cottage at Connie Maxwell Orphanage in Greenwood, South Carolina and Memorial Home Cottage was his home until he graduated from Greenwood High School in May of 1942. Upon graduation he enlisted in the Navy of which he received training for Motor Torpedo Boats(PT Boats). He was classified as Gunners Mate 3rd Class. I don't have the exact number of the PT. Boat but I remember him telling me his boat had passed PT Boat 109 which had the future President of the United States John F. Kennedy. I know my father was in the South Pacific and from what I understand from My Uncle Luther is that a Japanese Destroyer ramped the boat daddy was on and split it in half and my father was just one that survived after being afloat for 60 hours before being rescued. Daddy was discharged in 1944.
On March 11, 1950 my father and mother were married at Park Place Baptist Church in Greenville.
Among his survivors were my mother, Mrs. Lois Louise Mosteller Barnett; one son, Robert Dean Barnett; one step-son, Ronald James Davis; three daughters, Mrs. Sharon Ruth Barnett Davenport, Miss Lydia Jeanne Barnett, Mrs. Angela Barnett Burton all from Greenville; two sisters, Mrs. Mary Barnett Smith from Charlotte, North Carolina, Mrs. Ruth Martin Barnett Ray from Great Falls, South Carolina; three brothers, James Long Barnett from Bennettsville, South Carolina, Luther Zedic Barnett Sr. from Charleston, South Carolina and Lee Prince Barnett from Lake Tahoe, Nevada. Besides his parents he was preceded in death by one sister, Mrs. Lila Barnett Tench who died in 1970 and one brother, Mays Milton Barnett Jr. who died in 1941.
Graveside Services were held at Woodlawn Memorial Park on Sunday April 5, 1981.
Respectively Yours,
Sharon Ruth Barnett Merheb
Thursday June 6, 2017