Betty Barnett

Betty Sleigh Barnett, 88, died on Thursday, January 7th at the Jubilee House in Clarksville, TN. She has gone home to join Christ and her late husband, Ray Barnett, in heaven.

She was born Betty Marie Sleigh on March 30th, 1932, to the late Charlie and Maggie Stanfill Sleigh in Woodlawn, TN. Betty was one of eight siblings; she had four brothers and three sisters. She is preceded in death by all of her brothers and one sister.

Betty Barnett spent over 30 years working in the Clarksville-Montgomery County School System. For many years, she worked in the library at Woodlawn Elementary School, where she attended back when it was Woodlawn High School. Betty and Ray raised their three children, Mark, Connie, and Chris, in the Woodlawn community.

Betty was also a devoted woman of faith. She was a church member her whole life and raised her family in Woodlawn Baptist Church. She then spent the latter half of her life at First Baptist Church of Clarksville, where she loved singing in the choir and teaching a preschool Sunday school class. In addition, Betty was an enthusiastic Vacation Bible School volunteer every year.

Caring for children - her own, and others - was truly Betty’s calling. There are hundreds of people in the Clarksville community with fond memories of being loved on by Mrs. Barnett in school or church when they were young. And she could not help but adore her kids, their spouses, and her seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. The family is unsure whether they’ll miss her affectionate teasing or her southern cooking more... both have become the very definition of home for the Barnett family. Betty leaves a legacy of devotion to family and faith.

Betty is survived by children Mark (Betty) Barnett, Connie Barnett Cooper, Chris (Laura) Barnett; grandchildren Tom (Stephanie) Barnett, Taylor Cooper, Will (Sarah), Matt (Paige), Claire, Graham and Miller Barnett; and great-grandchildren Michael Ray, Luke James, Leah Grace and Paityn Ann Barnett; great-grandchildren, Michael, Luke, Leah, and Paityn; sisters, Anna Mae Atkins and Dorothy Pollard.

Visitation with the family will be the Monday evening, January 11th, from 4-7pm at First Baptist Church, Clarksville and again on Tuesday from 9:30 until the hour of service at the church. A service honoring Betty’s life will be held in the main auditorium of First Baptist Clarksville at 11am on Tuesday, January 12th. The public is invited to attend this socially-distanced service and the burial, which will immediately follow the service at Greenwood Cemetery.
Pallbearers will be Tom Barnett, Will Barnett, Matt Barnett, Graham Barnett, Miller Barnett, Johnny Sleigh, Don Atkins, and Brad Crow.

Memorial donations may be made to First Baptist Church, Clarksville.

Condolences may be made at www.NaveFuneralHomes.com