Mr. Wesley Barnett

Visitation for Mr. John Wesley Barnett, 89, of Carthage will be held Wednesday, March 18, from 6-8pm at Hawthorn Funeral Home. Mr. Barnett passed away Monday, March 16 in Carthage, Texas. The youngest of six children, and a Fourth Generation Texan, Mr. Barnett was born April 5, 1925 in Carthage to the marriage of James Oscar Barnett and Nancy Corneilia Cockrell. He was a lifelong resident of Carthage, and was drafted into the U.S. Army immediately after graduating with the 1943 class of Carthage High School. After completing basic training, he first served in WWII with the West Coast Defense and then transferred to England in preparation to serve under General George S. Patton in the European theater. He first entered the war in Normandy, France in September of 1944 and was awarded the Bronze Star for leading the sole 14 survivors of his battalion to safety from behind enemy lines. He later fought in Battle of the Bulge and through to Germany at the end of the war. After his military service, Mr. Barnett served on the Carthage Volunteer Fire Department, attended Kilgore College and later graduated from Stephen F. Austin with a B.A. in Accounting. He retired from a career in banking and additionally served on the Board of Directors for The First National Bank of Carthage and Texas Bank of Tatum. Wesley married Margaret Elizabeth Langford on September 11, 1958. They were deeply devoted and together celebrated 56 happy years of marriage. He was a cradle roll member of The First United Methodist Church of Carthage and a loyal member of the choir. Active in community civic clubs and organizations, he was a Master Mason and Past Master of the Carthage Masonic Lodge, Member and Past President of the Carthage Shrine Club, and a Past President and Ambassador for the Panola County Chamber of Commerce, and was the Chamber Citizen of the Year in 1978. He was also Past President of the Carthage Lions Club and was active in the Annual Lions Show. He served on the Panola General Hospital Board of Directors and the Panola County Industrial Foundation Board. He was always kind, loving and devoted to his family and dedicated much of his life to time with his family and his hobbies which included hunting, fishing, wood-working, gardening, watching the Dallas Cowboys and traveling across much of the United States. Mr. Barnett is preceded in death by his parents, brother, William Alton “Bill”, sisters, Lois Kimball, Vivian Truitt, Beth Bonner and Pauline Wall. He is survived by his wife, Margaret of Carthage, son, Greg of Carthage, and daughter, Sharon Bettevy and husband John of Heath, grandchildren, Adam Bettevy of Rockwall, Ryan Bettevy and wife Kimberly of Rockwall, and Dallas Barnett and wife Kayla of Tyler, great grandson, Logan Bettevy and great granddaughter, Aubrey Bettevy, both of Rockwall. In lieu of Flowers, the family requests memorials be made to the First United Methodist Church of Carthage, Heartsway Hospice of Carthage and the Sharon Shrine Temple of Tyler. A private service for the family will be held at a later time. An online guestbook may be signed at www.hawthornfuneralhome.com.

Tributes

Mr. Wesley Barnett

April 5, 1925 - March 16, 2015