Maudie Arleene “Snookie” Naylor, age 93, of Bethel Springs, Tennessee, passed away peacefully on September 30, 2026.
Born on January 18, 1933, in Hardin County, Tennessee, she was the beloved daughter of the late William Thomas Barham and Velmer Arleene Hollingsworth Barham. Growing up in a lively household, her father bestowed unique nicknames on his children, dubbing Maudie “Snookie”—a name that stuck so firmly her own children didn’t learn her real name until they were much older.
On August 9, 1951, she married the love of her life, Jimmie C. Naylor, sharing nearly 56 wonderful years together before his passing on June 23, 2007. Their long marriage was filled with family, hard work, and cherished memories. While Maudie was primarily a homemaker who poured her heart into raising her family, once her children were older, she spent 16 years working in local garment factories. Her extraordinary skill with a needle began in childhood under memorable circumstances: after getting into trouble for playing with her mother’s sewing machine, she was made to learn the craft under threat of a switch. That discipline blossomed into a lifelong mastery. Though Jimmie playfully teased her about spending too much time quilting, her talent spoke for itself, especially when one of her hand-crafted quilts raffled for $2,000. In time, she even taught Jimmie how to make a pretty stitch, though he would never admit it to anyone.
Maudie found great joy in the simple pleasures of life. She was an avid gardener with a deep love for flowers and a passion for canning the harvest. In the kitchen, she was notorious for her unique culinary quirks, occasionally forgetting to stir the sugar into the sweet tea or leaving the sugar out of a lemon pie entirely—much to Jimmie’s puckered surprise. Above all, family was her true center. Her grandson was her world and undeniably her favorite, at least until her two great-grandsons came along and stole her heart all over again.
She was preceded in death by her parents, William and Velmer Barham; her beloved husband, Jimmie C. Naylor; her sisters, Virginia Parnell and Lydia Benson; and her brothers, Robert Counce, William Lee Barham, Charles “Bud” Barham, Roy Barham, James Barham, and Roger Barham.
Maudie leaves behind a legacy of love, humor, and warmth. She is survived by her daughter, Barbara Smith and her husband Donny of Pocahontas, TN; her son, Jimmy Neal Naylor and his wife Sylvia of Bethel Springs, TN; her beloved grandson, Joshua Neal Naylor and his wife Lacie of Bethel Springs, TN; and her cherished great-grandsons, Luke and Logan Naylor, along with a host of extended family members, neighbors, and friends who will miss her dearly.
The family requests all donations be made to St. Jude or American Diabetes Association
