Barbara Jane Blake (Bunn), 85 passed peacefully at her home in Peaceful Valley on Thursday, April 2, in Nettleton, MS. A Wedowee, Ala., native, Mrs. Blake was born on June 2, 1940, in Randolph County, Alabama to Theodore and Claudia Sailors Bunn and was raised in the Church of Christ. Barbara graduated from Randolph County High School in Wedowee, Alabama. In 1961, she graduated from Jacksonville State University with a BS Degree in Education and went on to receive a BS degree in Accounting at the University of Alabama, Birmingham. In 1983 she graduated from Itawamba Junior College with an associate degree in nursing. Barbara was devoted to her family and was always eager to help them with anything they needed. She loved gardening and had her own greenhouse business for over 10 years. She always loved a project, and over the years spent most of her spare time helping organizations in the community. She loved helping the Itawamba Indian Players make costumes and props for their annual productions. She also helped the Carolina RCDC with projects such as stage curtains, costumes, and props as well as floats for multiple area Christmas Parades. Mrs. Blake worked at North Mississippi Medical Center for 28 years at the Behavioral Health Unit and Home Health Care.
Services will be at 4:00 p.m. Saturday, April 4, at the McNeece-Morris Funeral Home Chapel in Fulton. Interment will be on Monday in the Clay County Memory Gardens in Ashland, AL. Visitation will be Saturday from 1:00 p.m. until service time at the funeral home.
Survivors include two sons, Robert Joseph Blake (Victoria) of Fulton, MS, Andrew Joshua Blake of Nettleton, MS; two daughters, Beth Martin (Kelly) of Fulton, MS, and Melanie Bennett (Dirk) of Fulton, MS; six grandchildren, Thomas Blake, Valerie Plunkett (Hayden), Owen Bennett (Jolee), Anderson Martin, Quinn Bennett (finance Kayce) and William Blake; one sister, Carol Sue Bunn of Birmingham, Ala; two brothers, Joel Phillip Bunn and Dwight Bunn of Ashland, Ala., and sisters-in-law, Shirley Bunn, Betty Ann Bunn, Katie Williams, Judy Doster, and Cindy Huffman.
She was preceded in death by her husband of 60 years, Bobby Joe Blake; her parents, Theodore and Cludia Sailors Bunn; three brothers, Max Bunn, Arthur Bunn, Roy Huston Bunn, and one sister, Betty Frances Bunn.
Pallbearers will be Thomas Blake, William Blake, Owen Bennett, Anderson Martin, Quinn Bennett, Valerie Plunkett, and Hayden Plunkett,
Honorary pallbearers will be Steve Wardlaw, Randy Bunn, Phil Bunn, Johnathan Bunn, and Michael Bunn.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made in Barbara’s memory to the Itawamba Indian Players C/O Victoria Blake, 11900 Hwy 25 South, Fulton, MS 38843, or the Carolina RCDC, C/O Teresa Blake 3375 Carolina Road, Nettleton, MS 38858.
