William J. (Bill) Barnett
William J. (Bill) Barnett, age 83, of Texarkana, Texas, died Monday, February 27, 2017, in a local hospital surrounded by his loving family. Bill was born to Robert and Margaret Findley Barnett on May 29, 1933, in Gainesville, Texas. Very early in life he went to live with his maternal grandparents, Albert and Lily May Findley, who raised him.
He graduated high school in 1952 and shortly there after he went off to college at Baylor University where he met the first love of his life, La Quinta Rogers, from Mena, Arkansas. They were married on March 3, 1953, while at Baylor. After two years, he joined the Army but left his heart at Baylor and was a lifetime Baylor Bear fan. After his two year stint in the army, they moved to Mena and then he went to Ouachita Baptist College and Southwestern Seminary, where he studied for ministry. For the next twenty-five years, he was a Baptist Minister before he decided he wanted to teach children instead of adults, so he went back to Ouachita and received his Masters Degree in Education. After trying to find a place to teach from Florida to Alaska, they settled on the Navajo Reservation where he taught for eighteen years before retiring to El Paso, Texas in 1991. After the loss of La Quinta after fifty plus years of marriage, he moved to Texarkana to be near a son and former motherin-law, where he met the second love of his life, Ellen Owen, in June of 2005. They were married February 25, 2006. He was preceded in death by his first wife, La Quinta Barnett, his parents, and his grandparents.
He is survived by his wife, Ellen Barnett of Texarkana, TX, three sons and their wives, Brad and Kay Barnett of Edgewood, NM, Ric and Theresa Barnett of Texarkana, AR, and Greg and Nena Barnett of San Antonio, TX, one step-son and wife, Curtis and Cindy Frost of Wentzville, MO, six grandchildren, Beverly Rainey of Albuquerque, NM, Stephanie Barnett of Dallas, TX, Max Barnett of Albuquerque, NM, Acacia Barnett of Santa Fe, NM, Jared Barnett of San Antonio, TX, and Danica Barnett of Tempe, AZ, five stepgrandchildren, Amanda FrostFrakes of Chicago, IL, Kayla and Nat Watts of Dubberly, LA, Ashley and Chris Azmeh of Webster, NY, Joe Frost of Plant City, FL, and Amanda Fiorentino of Texarkana, AR, two stepgreat-grandchildren, Karly Watts of Dubberly, LA and Cecily Azmeh of Webster, NY, three sisters, Rosa Wells of North Richland Hills, TX, Lillie Drake of Frisco, TX, and Eddie Pruitt of Caddo Mills, TX, two brothers, John Callaway of Midlothian, TX and Rollin Callaway of Florida, and a number of other family members and friends.
As per Bill’s wishes, there will be no services at this time. There will be a Memorial Service at a later date under the direction of Texarkana Funeral Home, Arkansas.
The family would like to thank all of his doctors and the staff on the 2nd floor of Wadley Regional Medical Center for the love and care given Bill over the last five plus years. God bless each and everyone of you.
Memorials may be made to Baylor University in Bill’s memory.
Online registration is at www. texarkanafuneralhome.com.