| [img]/uploads/img46e387786eb3e.gif[/img] | | Patsy Jean Smith was born 25 September 1945 in Akron, Ohio, the daughter of Clyde M. and Ninnive (Surface) Smith. She was a 1963 graduate of South High School in Akron, Ohio and was married on 07 March 1964 to Teddy Lee Barnes. Pat and Ted had two children, Jeffrey Lee and Joan Louise Barnes. They have lived in Marietta, Ohio for the past several years. Pat was a member of many historical and genealogical societies in West Virginia, Ohio and Virginia. She was active with the Roane County Historical Society, serving seven years as editor of their quarterly newsletter, The Roane County Journal. She compiled two ancestor chart books published by the society and was co-county coordinator for their Internet project. She was also a member of Daughters of Union Veterans of the Civil War, Marietta Tent #19, Daughters of the American Revolution, Marietta chapter NSDAR and Souls Harbor Church.
Pat was instrumental in planting the seed of genealogy into my life in 1992. Family history had not held much interest for me until she and her husband, Ted, visited with Jean and I one summer afternoon. Perhaps the excitement that I found in their visit triggered some deep need to probe my roots. It was not very long until I began asking Pat many questions as my learning experience began in basic genealogy research and documentation. She was more than helpful, she was an inspiration to me and hundreds of others who spend countless hours in libraries, courthouses and on the internet in our continuing effort to trace our family history. She was my primary resource when I had any question relating to genealogy.
Pat and Ted quickly became close friends with Jean and I and we shared many happy hours together. She was delighted when I showed her the cemetery where her grandfather and grandmother Smith were buried.
I learned a lot from Pat about the organization and documentation of information that I had accumulated about our family. She taught me that accuracy and the recording of data sources were extremely important in my research, a suggestion that I have passed on to many new researchers.
God chose to call Pat home on 04 April 2000, much sooner than we expected. She will be greatly missed by her family and friends but we say good bye with the knowledge that she is now with the Lord and give thanks that she was with us, even for such a short period of time. |
