Barbara Ann Summers Boydston, 87, of Memphis, TN went to be with the Lord on August 25, 2022. Barbara Ann was born on February 4, 1935 at Methodist hospital in Memphis TN to James Russell Summers and Barbara Meriwether Summers of Pleasant Hill, MS. Her grandparents were Johnnie and Joel Appling Summers of Pleasant Hill; and Anna and Americus Payne Meriwether of Hernando. She was the oldest of 3 girls. She was a tomboy and loved spending time riding through the pastures with her father, looking at the cattle, going with him downtown to the Memphis Cotton Exchange. Her mother would try to put ringlets in her hair, along with having her dressed in pretty dresses, however, photos of a young Barbara Ann show this was often short lived.
She adored horses and a favorite she always talked about was named Rumba. She also learned to shoot BB gun early in her life and would ride a pony like she was Annie Oakley. A funny story we shared was when her grandmother’s Thanksgiving turkey just happened to have BB pellets in it. Barbara Ann was an avid reader from childhood, and never was without a book on her Kindle.
She graduated from Hernando High School in 1953 and married the love of her life, James Wesley Boydston Jr (deceased 1999) later that year. They lived in Memphis, in the same home all 46 years.
Barbara Ann was a homemaker until later in life. She worked 20 years part time for Dr. Ed Wise, PhD. at MHR (Mental Health Resources) Memphis and she often said this was one of the happiest times of her life because of new friendships made and not sitting idle at home. She took great pride in typing the therapy dictation and psychological reports. She often said, “I should have paid them for letting me work because of the joy this has brought me.”
For the past 4 years Barbara Ann lived with her daughter Debra Fitzgerald and her life partner Jeff Mayer. Jeff was her faithful caregiver during this time as Debra continued working full time. She also had a 20 lb. ‘therapy cat” named Jasper who always sat on the back of her chair. They adored one another and she once told me they “talked” about taking a trip to Hawaii together.
Barbara leaves her daughter, Debra Boydston Fitzgerald, a son James Russell Boydston and 1 grandson Dave Stanley, all of Memphis. She has 2 sisters, Carolyn Meriwether Maddux of Greensboro, NC and Mary Jo Summers Copeland of Orlando, FL. She has a nephew, Scott Copeland of Orlando, and 2 nieces, Meriwether Maddux Powell of Chevy Chase, Maryland and Neil Maddux Miller (deceased).
A graveside service will held at Pleasant Hill Cemetery on Tuesday, August 30, 2022 at 11:00 am.
