Kenneth Barnes

Kenneth Wayne Barnes

Aberdeen – Kenneth Wayne Barnes, 80, met his Lord and Savior face to face when he passed away on Friday, March 1, 2024. He was born on September 24, 1943, in Wren, Mississippi to the late Kager Barnes and Mary Smitherman Barnes.

Kenneth grew up in Monroe County in a huge family with ten siblings. He attended school and his family eventually transferred up north, for work in Illinois. A true Patriot, in 1964, he entered the United States Army. He served during the Vietnam War and for the rest of his life he was passionate about Veterans causes. After leaving the service, he went to work in the Manufacturing Industry, initially working as a shipping supervisor at Sharp Garment Manufacturing in Aberdeen, Mississippi. He was not afraid of hard work and he later worked as a Quality Control Manager at the Block Sportswear Company in Tupelo, MS.

A gentle and kind man, he loved the Lord and lived his testimony every day. He married the love of his life, Rachel Gilmore Barnes on February 23, 1968 and they were blessed with two daughters. He was a Deacon and member of the Pleasant Grove Church of God Prophecy. Kenneth was a quiet man, who loved to stay a home and spend some alone time with God while he read his Bible. His church and his family meant the world to him, especially his grandkids. He left a legacy of faith to his family and they are so grateful for this. Besides his immediate family, with his wife being his best friend, one of his closest friends was his nephew, Paul Barnes.

An avid sports fan, he was always thrilled to watch the Chicago Cubs as well as Ole Miss. Kenneth also liked putting together a challenging puzzle especially being the one to put in the last piece. He enjoyed watching Western shows and listening to Elvis as well as good ole country music like Hank Williams. History intrigued him and he was a Civil War buff who knew everything about every battle and a lot of this knowledge came from his extensive reading he had done through the years.

He was a smart hardworking God fearing man who loved his family and cherished being a dad. His presence will be greatly missed yet his family know that he is at peace
He is survived by his wife, Rachel Barnes; daughters, Lisa Spruill (Jimmy), Aberdeen, and Cindy Spruill, Aberdeen; grandsons, Daniel Spruill, Nicholas Spruill and A. J. Spruill; sisters, Elsie Griffin, Texas, and Mary Gillentine (Roger), Aberdeen, MS.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his sisters, Edna Long, Anna Hodnett, and Delores Moore; brothers, Calvin Barnes, Johnny Barnes, Douglas Barnes, Earnest Barnes, and Lynn Barnes.

A Celebration of Life Service will be held on Monday, March 4, 2024, at 2:00 pm at The Pleasant Grove Church of God of Prophecy in Aberdeen, Mississippi with Bro. James Gray and Bro. Dean Allen officiating. Burial will follow with Military Honors in New Hope Cemetery on Coontail Road, Aberdeen, MS. Pallbearers will be Cedric Smitherman, Nathan Barnes, Robert Barnes, Jimmy Spruill, Josh Comer and Nicholas Spruill.

Visitation for family and friends will be on Monday afternoon from 1:00 pm until 2:00 pm at the church in Aberdeen.

Memories and condolences may be shared with his family at EEPickleFuneralHome.com