Frances Kerr Barnes

Frances Barnes, 96, of Abilene, died Tuesday, May 31, 2011 at a local nursing center. Funeral services will be held at 10:00 am on Monday, June 6, 2011 at The Hamil Family Funeral Home, 6449 Buffalo Gap Road. Chaplain James O. Teel will officiate. Burial will follow in Elmwood Memorial Park. The family will receive friends from 3:00 to 5:00 pm on Sunday at the funeral home. Frances was born July 25, 1914 in Lexington, Kentucky to William Graham Kerr and Fannie (Halley) Kerr. She graduated from the University of Kentucky in June of 1936 with a major in English. While attending the University of Kentucky, Frances was a member of Alpha Gamma Delta Sorority. She married Augustine Edward Barnes who was a geologist. In January, 1944 they relocated from Owensboro, Kentucky to Midland with Skelley Oil. In February of 1947, they relocated again to Abilene with Lion Oil. Frances joined the staff of Carnegie Public Library in Abilene, still in the old building downtown and was the children's librarian when the new Abilene Public Library opened in the late 1950's. She became librarian at Cooper High School in 1962. Frances earned her master's degree in Library Science from the University of Texas in Austin in 1967. She retired from Cooper High School in 1981. Frances was a member of Westminster Presbyterian Church in Abilene. She was preceded in death by her parents William and Fannie Kerr, her husband, Augustine Edward Barnes in 2001 and one sister, Mary Halley Nantz. Her family was the joy of her life. She is survived by four sons, Graham Barnes of Georgetown, Walter Barnes of Dallas, Edward Barnes of Abilene, and Bill Barnes and his wife Marty of Austin and seven grandchildren. Memorials may be made in honor of Frances to the Abilene Public Library "Friends of the Library", P.O. Box 1001, Abilene, Texas 79604-1001.