Mary Louise (Tharp) Barnes, 85 years old, of Mountain View, Arkansas, passed away on April 22, 2024, at Baptist Health Memorial Hospital in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Louise was born on May 8, 1938, to William and Nettie Tharp in Mountain View, Arkansas. She graduated from Coachella Valley Union High School in June 1957. On August 9, 1957, at 10:00 pm she got engaged to the love of her life Ottis Ray Barnes. Her church family put together a wedding for her and Ottis on September 14, 1958, since her family was in Arkansas. They did not have a honeymoon but did travel back to Arkansas in December for Christmas to tell both of their families they had gotten married. Louise and Ottis had a son, Orbin Barnes and a daughter Elaine Thomas.
They celebrated their 50th Anniversary before Ottis passed away.
While living in California Louise spent time taking care of others. She had several families she babysat for and also did house cleaning for several movie stars which included Lucille Ball, Dagwood and Blondie, Hop-a-Long Cassidy, and a few others. In 1963, she and Ottis moved back to Mountain View, Arkansas. There she spent most of her working years at Capital-Mercury Shirt Corporation where she was honored numerous times for her dedication to her job. In 1994 she was honored for a quarter century of loyal and devoted service, working until the factory closed in 1998. She then went to work for Aromatique where she later retired.
Louise loved serving others and helping do whatever she could to take care of the people she loved. For years, during voting seasons you could always find her working the the voting precinct on Sugar Hill. She loved her church, Elizabeth Missionary Baptist Church where she was a member. There she was helping with whatever it was they needed. She would help provide dinners for families, help with vacation bible school every summer, clean, take care of Sunday school materials, and for years she was the church secretary who kept the minutes for all the church business meetings. As the church grew and they needed more land, she and Ottis donated land to the church so they could serve more people in their community.
She loved being a Grandma to her grandchildren. She would spend time with them teaching them how to cook, sew, fish, and pick the garden along with wild blackberries. Life lessons and teachable moments were some of her favorite memories with her family. Showing them that you put God first, family second, and then community was how she lived.
In 2013 she moved to Batesville to be close to her daughter, she and Elaine would travel on many adventures together. Going to places like Branson, Laura Ingles Wilder homestead, Dollywood, and Noah’s Ark were some of her favorites. After her daughter passed away in 2021 she then moved back to Mountain View where she currently resides.
Louise was preceded in death by her parents William and Nettie Tharp, her spouse Ottis Barnes, one brother Monroe Tharp, one sister Pauline Tharp, and her daughter Elaine Thomas.
Louise is survived by her son Orbin Barnes (Marie) of Greenbrier, Arkansas, son-in-law
Michael Thomas of Floral, Arkansas, sister Bettie Treece and husband Garner of Mountain View, Arkansas, three grandchildren Christopher Thomas of Floral,
Arkansas, Fount Barnes of Sheridan, Arkansas, and Mary Beth Jackson (Leo) of Paragould, Arkansas, and 6 great grandchildren Landon, Mackenzie, and Sawyer Jackson, Cheyenne Richardson, Brandon and Ottis Barnes.
Visitation will be at Roller Crouch Funeral Home of Mountain View on Friday, April 26, 2024, from 6:00 pm-8:00 pm. Funeral services will be on Saturday, April 27, 2024, at 1:00 pm, at Elizabeth Missionary Baptist Church.
Pallbearers are Fount Barnes, Landon Jackson, Billy Treece, Rex Blackwell, Roy Green, and Brent Thornsberry.
Honorary Pallbearers are Michael Thomas, Leo Jackson, Christopher Thomas, Garner Treece, and Steve Blackwell.
