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Willie Barnes Jr., community leader, dies |
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Tuesday, 08 December 2009 |
Gwendolyn Gray doesn’t have to think hard to remember the kindness and compassion of her pastor, boss, landlord and friend, Willie Barnes Jr., who died Thursday.
Six months ago Gray’s car “fell apart.” Gray panicked, but Mr. Barnes stepped in. He cleaned out his work vehicle, a 1989 Cadillac, and sold it to Gray for $1 to make the transaction official.
“Nobody else would do that,” Gray remembered on Monday. “He loved people in general and cared about their welfare. He was a community pastor and was looking out for the betterment of our community as a whole. He genuinely cared. It wasn’t just lip service. A lot of people say ‘I love you,’ but he proved it by the things he did for the community. Those things stick out and make you love him more.”
Mr. Barnes, pastor at Elect Temple Church of God in Christ, was born June 21, 1934 near Grady. He is remembered as a caring community activist and has left behind a devastated congregation.
“He was a pillar of the community, and he is truly going to be missed,” said Benton resident and community activist Oveta Pledger. “When you touch a lot of people’s lives, you are going to be missed by a lot of people.”
Pledger worked with Mr. Barnes on improvement projects in the Ralph Bunche community. Mr. Barnes worked at Alcoa for more than 35 years, but he was also a journeyman pipefitter, ASME welder and journeyman plumber. He used those skills to help provide for his 10 children and to fix property he bought to rent to needy tenants at a reduced rate.
“He loved that community, and he upgraded it in any way he could,” Pledger recalled. “He bought a lot of property and houses and rented them out. Then, if his tenants couldn’t pay their light and gas bills, he helped them, too. It didn’t matter who you were, if you needed help, he wanted to help you.”
Gray said that recently, Mr. Barnes dedicated himself to building relationships with different groups in Benton.
“He was concerned about the city of Benton, spiritually, and all of his brothers and sisters in Christ,” said Gray, who serves as the secretary at Elect Temple Church of God in Christ. “It didn’t matter what color or denomination. One part of his legacy is his mission to break down the racial barrier at churches. We are all God’s children, and bringing people together has been his mission the past six months.”
The mission to carry on Mr. Barnes’ legacy gives Gray strength, but she admits the loss has been tough on her and others that knew him.
“It took me 24 hours to stop bawling,” Gray said. “It just floored me. We are still trying to cope with it. I’ve had so many close dealings with him being my pastor, landlord and being the church secretary. We are trying to be strong, but I’m not resting well at night. I already miss him so much.”
A memorial service will be held tonight at 6:30 at Elect Temple Church of God in Christ, 305 Johnson St. A funeral service will be held Wednesday at 11 a.m., also at the temple. Mr. Barnes will lie in state from 9:30 a.m. until the service.
Burial will be in Woodlawn Cemetery. Arrangements are by Christian Way Funeral Home in Pine Bluff.
For more information, see obituary on Page 3.
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