Thelma Barnett

Asheville - A loving and caring woman. She died on May 2, 2012 at age 87. She was mother to Dixie, Dan, Jim, and Diane. She was wife to Barney Barnett, the daughter of Monroe and Ethel, sister to Ethylene, Esther, Jean, James, Max, and Charles, grandmother to Lisa, Kimberly, Melissa, Justin, and Sarah and great grandmother to Alex, Zach, Elise, and Laine. She has more friends and acquaintances than we can list or that we are even aware of. She touched everyones life. Thelma had beautiful dark hair when she was young and every day she always tried to keep her hair just right. She had a smile that could make you stop what you were doing. In the last year she developed a little sarcastic streak that kept us guessing and laughing. We know she believed that the shortest distance between two people was a laugh, so that way we could all stay connected even on the phone. She loved her phone calls, letters, cards, and she was always appreciative of the smallest things. She loved chocolate. Chocolate with cream centers, nuts, solid, or chocolate covered with chocolate. She loved Victory Baptist Church and what Victory has meant to the Barnett family. Her room at WNC Baptist home was special. Dinner in the dining room always seemed to be fun. She loved all birds but she did not care for snakes. She related to most animals from a farmers perspective, although animals did search her out like Kitty Kat did in her last year. The more she lost her mobility the more she loved seeing the birds' independence and rapid flight patterns. Flowers would always make her smile. Pink was her favorite. We think that she loved so intensely that all that love is what eventually wore out her heart. She wanted a good life and with the exception of learning how to dance or swim, she did what she wanted in life. She would sit on the side of the public pool and watch as each of her children was taught to swim. When walking across the Cape Fear River on the train trestle as a teenager, she was more concerned about the water below than the impending train. Thelma lived life. She knew she had the power to grant herself a good life by understanding that everything is not always perfect and by focusing on the good in herself and in others: and by knowing that greater things are possible. The family will receive friends at Victory Baptist Church at 80 Olivette Road beginning at 2 pm Sunday May 6 with the funeral service following at 3 pm. Memorials may be made to the Food Ministry at Victory Baptist Church.