Edith Ann Davis Barber

Edith Ann was born in York, Alabama on January 31, 1932; and her family later moved to Central Heights where her father was also her principal in her younger school years. After her family moved to downtown Florence, she attended her high school years and graduated from Coffee High School (1949). While at Coffee, she enjoyed playing the flute in the concert and marching bands.

Her training for a teaching career took place on the University of North Alabama campus under two previous college names. She attended Florence State Teachers College for two years (1949-1951) before marrying Ebby Barber from Sheffield on March 10, 1951. They lived in South Carolina and later Indiana during his states-side military assignments during the Korean War era. Later, while her children were young, she completed both a Bachelor’s Degree and a Master’s Degree from Florence State College in Elementary Education and was blessed to have her father as one of her professors. While in her first two years at Florence State, Edith Ann played the flute during the band’s concert season; and she was one of the college’s first majorettes during marching season. She was one of the “Daisy Mae majorettes” who were called that because the majorette line was so new that they did not have uniforms and dressed in homemade “Daisy Mae” outfits.

She loved her own children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren dearly; but she also loved her many students that she taught over the years. She owned and taught in her private kindergarten/daycare—Mother Goose Nursery School—in downtown Florence after she completed her teaching degree. She then began her public school teaching career in 1963 in Tuscumbia City Schools where she taught 6th grade, then 5th grade, and then 2nd grade at the former Cave Street School. She ended up teaching 1st grade at Northside Elementary School and then at Southside Elementary School. She continued teaching 1st grade in Muscle Shoals City Schools at the former Howell Graves Elementary School and later at Webster Elementary. She knew how important having a good, loving 1st grade teacher was to help students begin their school years with positive experiences; and this was evidenced by the love she got back from former students when they would see her out in the community in later years.

Edith Ann was a member of Tuscumbia First Methodist Church where she was faithful in playing the piano for her Sunday School class until recent years when her illness prevented her from attending. She also was a longtime choir member where she loved singing in the alto section.

Edith Ann was predeceased by her husband, Leonard Everette “Ebby” Barber, Jr.; her son, Robert Kim Barber; her parents, William Lonnie Davis and Edith Smith Davis Posey; her in-laws, Leonard Everette and Jane Elizabeth “Boots” Barber; her sister, Mary Grace Davis Morris; and her brother, Bernard “Barney” M. Davis.

Edith Ann is survived by two daughters, Joan Barber Parris (Joel) of Tuscumbia and Linda Barber Clark (Steve) of Sheffield. She is also survived by her daughter-in-law, Randi White Barber of Sheffield. “Meemaw” is survived by her five grandchildren: Jana Parris Beaver (Brant) of Florence, Kyle Barber (Jason) of Nashville, Tennessee, Jenny Parris Boozer (Justin) of Muscle Shoals, Katie Barber Wilson (Jeremy) of Littleton, Colorado, and Jackson Wright (Daniela) of Vail, Colorado. Eight surviving great-grandchildren also called her “Meemaw:” Becca and Brooks Beaver of Florence; Lydia and Wesley Ryan and Lily and Easton Boozer of Muscle Shoals; and Aiden and Haley Wilson of Littleton, Colorado. She had extra blessings in bonus grandchildren Lauren, Ted, and Kerra. She is also survived by nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Pallbearers will be family members.

Edith Ann and her family have had the best neighbors for the last 65 years of living in the same house in Tuscumbia. Her children watched their mother being a good neighbor by welcoming new neighbors with food and a smile, sharing food with sick or grieving neighbors, and serving Kool-Aid and cookies to children playing in her yard as one of the many “Mountain View neighborhood moms.” Those kind acts that she did for others in her younger years have been returned to her many times during her long illness by her wonderful neighbors.

The family wants to thank the following who have become like family for their special care and love for our Edith Ann: Brother’s Keeper Companion sitters (Victoria—owner, and sitters: Angela, Shalander, Tannie, and Alexis), Jennifer, and Enable Hospice employees.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in memory of Edith Ann Barber to one of these three projects or to a ministry of your choice. 1) Since music was so important in her service at Church, please consider honoring her memory by purchasing a new $35 hymnal during the “new hymnal drive” that is currently in progress at her home Church: Tuscumbia First Methodist Church, 104 E. 3rd Street, Tuscumbia, AL 35674. 2) Edith Ann was a devout Christian and another way to honor her memory could be by sharing the Gospel with others through purchasing Gideon Bibles ($25 for 5 Bibles) to be distributed where needed in the World through the Colbert County Gideons, PO Box 740248, Tuscumbia, AL 35674. 3) During her teaching career, Edith Ann was often a mentor to new teachers in her schools. Since helping other teachers was important to her, consider a donation in her memory to the University of North Alabama scholarship fund for education majors that her brother set up in memory of their professor father–“The William Lonnie Davis Memorial Endowed Scholarship:” Office of University Advancement, UNA Box 5113, Florence, AL 35632-0001.

Please visit morrisonfuneralhomes.com to leave tributes and condolences for the family.