Funeral services for Willie Jewel Barks Hamm, 88, of Lumberton will be 11:00 am Monday, March 13, 2017 at Farmer Funeral Home with interment following in Hooks Cemetery. Visitation will be from 10:00 am Monday until time of service.
Ms. Hamm was born February 26, 1929 in Elizabeth, Louisiana and passed away March 6, 2017. She spent her last days under the exceptional care of ‘The Gardens’ Altus Hospice, listening to her favorite country gospel songs and accepting her earthly visitors before reuniting with her heavenly Father and family.
Willie is predeceased by her parents, Joseph L. Barks, Sr., and Nettie Belle Doyle Barks; son Jerry Don McRoberts; brother Joseph L. Barks, Jr and wife Jessalyn; nephews Joey and William Barks; and half-sister Mattie Belle Alexander.
She is survived by grandson Marshall McRoberts of Lexington of South Carolina; granddaughters Donna McRoberts of Houston and Cary Buckner and great granddaughter Cierra all of Orange; and niece Nicki Barks of Lumberton. She is also survived by three additional generations of Barks’ nieces and nephews.
Special friends and neighbors important in her life were the Waller family, and her best traveling and shopping girl, Evon Rutledge. Ms. Hamm’s family would like to especially recognize her niece Nicki, who assisted in her care for the past several years. Also, very important to her were Janice and Bo Gibson, longtime neighbors from over the fence who “adopted” her over the last two decades. Their kindness and devotion aided in her desire to remain in her country home. At the time that she could no longer remain there, they were instrumental in helping while her affairs were put in order. The Gibson’s made several trips to Houston while she was living with her granddaughter. As the next phase brought her back to Lumberton, they continued to show their love while she was cared for at Village Creek Nursing Home.
Ms. Hamm spent many years of her retirement traveling the world with Evon, always returning to her little house out in the woods. More than half of her life was dedicated to those six acres. She could most often be found, well into her 80’s, with either the push mower or a rake in her hands, wearing a big floppy hat and her little work boots with the pants tucked into the socks. She worked endlessly, and her property was a showpiece with a variety of colorful flowers, azalea bushes, fruit bearing trees, rows of grape vines and her custom greenhouse.
She would very much like to see contributions in her memory made to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Drive, Memphis TN 38105, the Arthritis Foundation, 4550 Posy Oak Place Drive, Ste 307, Houston TX 77027, or the Alzheimer’s Association, Beaumont Regional Office, 700 North St Ste M, Beaumont TX 77701.
