"Meme" Thelma Frances Barnes

Thelma first appears in the 1910 census with her parents and brother William “Billy Boy” living in Westmoreland on the main road between Hague and Coles Point. Her father listed his profession as a sailor.

By the 1920 census Thelma’s two younger siblings had been born. Thelma, William and Lester are all noted as having attended school in the last year. Eddie is still listed working as a sailor.

At age 17 Thelma married Everett Harding Branson. They were wed August 15th, 1922 in Leonardtown, St. Mary's, MD. St. Mary's county was a popular spot for young couples in the Northern Neck to go and get married because there was no required waiting period for a marriage license and no parental consent was needed. Everett was 20 years older than Thelma, but gave his age on the marriage license as 25. According to family lore, Everett had some wealth and his sisters were angry that he was marrying a younger woman who would inherit his money. Everett died on September 13th, 1922. Thelma's mother had taken her on an out of town shopping trip for new clothing as a wedding gift. When she returned she found Everett dead from a gunshot. His death certificate gave his cause of death as “suicide by shooting" and the newspaper reported his death as a suicide. However, Thelma always thought that he was shot by his jealous sisters. He is buried in Carmel United Methodist Church Cemetery.

In the 1940 census it shows that the family moved from Hague in Westmoreland to Haynesville in Richmond County. George is now working as a jeweler in a retail and repair jewelry business. Goerge was shown as completing 2 years of college, Thelma as completing 3 years of high school, George finishing 4th grade, and Frances has not yet starting school.

During WWII Thelma volunteered for the Civilian Air Warning Service. She took shifts in a lookout tower in Haynesville and reported on any airplane sightings. The Air Warning Service operated from May of 1941 to May of 1944 and relied on a network of citizen spotters to provide early alerts for enemy planes entering US airspace. The Haynesville observation tower is no longer standing.

In the 1950 census the family was again recorded in Haynesville, George reported working 48 hours the previous week as a watch repairman in his jewelry store. Their son George, Jr. lived two houses down and also reported working in watch repair at the jewelry store.

In the late 1980's Thelma and George moved from their house in Haynesville and retired to the Masonic Home in Richmond City.

Thelma passed away on January 19th, 2000. She was buried on the 22nd at Totuskey Baptist Church by Reverend Frank Dunn.