National Sojourners®

"When we assumed the soldier, we did not lay aside the citizen."

Grande Dame Floretta “Flo” Barnes

Nov 25, 2022

Lady Flo Barnes, the wife of PNP Wayne Barnes, passed 11/23/22.

Floretta was born to Earnest and Minnie Eden Burton on March 6th, 1938, in Martin, Kentucky and raised in Bicknell, Indiana. Floretta attended Bicknell High School and graduated with the class of 1956.

She married the love of her life C. Wayne Barnes on April 12th, 1957. They recently celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary with friends and all their family.

Since Wayne was in the Army, Floretta became an Army wife and mother. Her travels started in 1963 when she boarded a train in Vincennes, Indiana headed to Germany with her two-year-old Wendy Barnes (Coffey). She spent a total of 27 years in her travels as a military wife, with six years in Germany and two years in Taiwan and she has lived on 5 Bases in the US. All the time raising two fantastic daughters, Wendy and Cindy.

Floretta is a 45-Year member of Mt Olive Chapter of the Order of the Eastern Star of Indiana, she is a Shrine Lady of Alee and the Hinesville/Fort Stewart Shrine Club for over 30 years, a Scottish Rite Lady in Savannah for over 45 Years, a National Sojourner Camp Follower for over 20 years she has supported 12 Mid-Winter Conventions and 10 Annual Conventions.

In June at the 101st Annual Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin Floretta was named a Grande Dame, the highest Honor that can be given a Lady in the National Sojourners.

She loved to travel and to shop. She never met a handbag or pair of shoes she didn’t need to bring home.

She is preceded in death by her parents, her siblings, Delbert, Willa Mae, Margaret, Edward, Edna, Josephine, Virginia Ruth, June, Ruby, and Gene. And her grandson, Brian Wayne Coffey. She is survived by her adoring husband, C. Wayne Barnes, daughters, Wendy (Brian) Coffey of Augusta, Ga. and Cindy (Jim) Huntley, of Port Deposit, MD.; grandchildren, Jarrod K. Coffey, of Baldwin, Ga., Valinda F. L. (Josh) Williams, of Orlando, Fl., Andrew J. Huntley, and Ainsley G. Huntley, of Port Deposit, Md., and great-granddaughter, Aurora Layne Williams. She is also survived by a sister, Linda (Steve) Jones and several nieces and nephews.

Pallbearers are Jarrod Coffey, Andrew Huntley, Lamar Dowd, Ken Porter, JJ Johns, and Roger Hutchinson. Honorary Pallbearers are Members of Hinesville Masonic Lodge, Hinesville Ft Stewart Shrine Club, and National Sojourners.

The funeral service will be held on Tuesday, November 29, 2022, at 2:00 pm at the Thomas L. Carter Funeral Home in Flemington, Georgia with visitation beginning at 1:00 pm followed by burial at Oglethorpe Memorial Cemetery. MWPGM and Reverend Donald C. Combs will officiate.

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