Barbara Lee (Nichols) Watson of Olive Branch, Mississippi, passed away on June 20, 2023. Barbara was born in Oskaloosa, Kansas, on December 7, 1930. She grew up on a farm that did not have electricity until World War II. She attended Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas, and was a member of the Zeta Tau Alpha sorority. Barbara and John Watson were married in 1951. Prior to moving to Olive Branch in 1996, they lived in Robinson, Illinois, where Barbara was the payroll director for the L.S. Heath and Sons Candy Company. Barbara was a member of P.E.O. and the Maples Memorial United Methodist Church. One of her great joys was starting a branch of the Mother Bear Knitting Project in 2007. The group knitted small bears that were donated to the Palmer Home for Children, the House of Grace, Angel Tree, Children’s Advocacy Center, missionaries in India, and the Olive Branch Police Department (for children in distress).
Her husband, John, her oldest child, Bruce, and four siblings, Everett, Marjorie, Virginia, and John, preceded Barbara in death. She is survived by sister Marilyn Bullock (Paul) of Manhattan, Kansas; daughter Sandra of Olive Branch, Mississippi; son Blake (Pam) of Centerville, Ohio; granddaughter Anna (Sam) Beatty of Atlanta, Georgia; grandson Benjamin (Greer) Watson of Decatur, Georgia; and great-grandsons Theo and Rowan Watson.
A memorial service will be held on Thursday, June 29, at 11:00 at the Maples Memorial United Methodist Church, followed by a celebration of life reception. Memorial donations may be made to Maples Memorial United Methodist Church, 8745 Goodman Road, Olive Branch, MS 38654.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.brantleyfuneral.com for the Watson family.
