I have removed last names for privacy.Trying again. Weird formatting thing happened.
Barbara (Sweet Nana), 66, passed on from this world into the loving arms of her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ on Sunday, May 3, 2015 at St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital from complications related to open heart surgery. She died peacefully surrounded by her many loved ones. Barbara is preceded in death by her parents, Marvin and Toby, and her younger sister, Carlos. She is survived by her devoted husband, James Clayton, son Ronnie, daughter Norma, daughter Nancy, daughter Sundie, brother Marvin, brother Phillip, sister Tina, sister Monty, eleven grandchildren, and 18 nieces and nephews.Barbara and her husband have been residents of Walden on Lake Conroe in Montgomery, Texas since 2006, when they finally fulfilled their lifelong dream of buying a house with a view of the water. Prior to that, they lived in Kingwood, Pasadena, Houston, Porter and Conroe. They were married 47 wonderful years. Barbara was a faithful member of Mims Baptist Church in Conroe. Formerly, she and Clayton were charter members of Faith Family Baptist Church in Kingwood. In years past, they had also been members of First Baptist Pasadena, Memorial Baptist Pasadena, Woodforest Baptist, and Parkway Baptist Church.Barbara gave her life to The Lord in 1985 at the age of 37. From that point forward, she furiously memorized passages of scripture, believing firmly the words of Psalm 119:11. “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” She was a prayer warrior who spent quiet time studying God’s Word, fellowshipping with The Lord, and interceding for others faithfully every morning for the last 29 years of her life.Barbara led an active lifestyle. Most mornings, you could find her walking many miles on the paths of Walden. She loved gardening and planting flowers in the spring. She had an impressive ability to name nearly any plant or flower. In the late 1960’s, she acquired a cosmetology license and was an excellent hairdresser. In the late 70’s, she pursued a degree in Interior Design and had a real knack for decorating. In the mid 80’s, she worked as the Assistant Supervisor over a chain of beauty supply stores. In 1986 she felt that The Lord was leading her to be a stay-at-home-mom. Her main goal in life, and the thing she did best, was to be a homemaker. You could knock on her door any time, day or night, and her home was spotless and ready for company. She loved company and she loved to socialize. She never met a stranger. She said that was because her family moved around a lot when she was a kid, and it taught her how to make new friends quickly. Barbara was a dedicated wife and mother, a perfectionist who always wanted her husband and her children to have the very best that she could give. Her favorite task was ironing. She ironed her and her husband’s clothes diligently every day. She was fiercely protective over her children and grandchildren, and she would not rest until she knew they were independent and productive members of society.She was always an intuitive woman. On Friday, May 1, as doctors began aggressively treating her, and had asked her husband to step out of the room, she insisted on saying one last thing to the love of her life. Her final words were, “He who is in me is greater than he who is in the world… Clayton you will be okay. I will be okay. If I don’t make it through this, I will be going to see Jesus.”Barbara was born in Minden, Louisiana. She then “got back to Texas as fast as she could,” as she would always say. She lived in the Greater Houston Area for most of her life, and she considered it “home”. Barbara’s remains will be cremated. Her ashes will travel around the country with her husband in a recreational vehicle for the rest of his days. 4951