Rachel Catherine Barnes - Online Memorial Website

This site is created in loving memory of our daughter Rachel. She gave so much love in the twenty-two years that she was with us. She will always be an inspiration to everyone who knew her. Rachel's life had a marvelous purpose and was not a life lived in vain. Let this be her legacy. She was here to teach us about life and death, to be an example for us, to show us what it means to really grow. She was here to teach us how to love, to give of ourselves, to find true happiness, and to make the best of the hand we are dealt. She may have lost a few battles, but in the end she won the victory. We will always cherish the time we had with her, and she will live on our hearts until the day we can be with her again.  We will remember her always. We love you, our sweet Rachie Roo. 

Rachel Catherine Barnes. age 22, was born on July 9, 1983, in Pikeville, Kentucky, to Scrapy Louis and Marilyn Barnes. She departed this world on July 28, 2005, following a 3 1/2 year long battle with Hodgkin's lymphoma.

She is survived by her parents; a sister, Rebecca Slone; a niece, Sarah, three nephews, Andrew, Alex, and Shaun; one uncle, David Cook; two aunts, Linda Smith and Debbie Renigar; and a host of loving cousins and friends.

Rachel was preceded in death by her paternal grandparents, Joe and Bertha Barnes; her maternal grandparents, James and Eulah Cook, both who were long time members of the Pikeville Old Regular Baptist Church.; and an uncle, James "Jimbo" Cook.

Rachel was a member of Toler Creek Freewill Baptist Church. She attended Pikeville Elementary and Pikeville High School. She attended Morehead State University until she was first diagnosed. She later attended Big Sandy Community Regional and Technical College. Her goal was to become a computer network administrator. While attending school she worked at Food City- a job she loved.

During her illness, Rachel's faith, courage, and strength were immeasurable. Instead of asking, "Why me?" she would always ask, "Why not me?" She touched the lives of so many people and made so many friends during the twenty-two years she was with us. All through her illness she worried more about others than she did herself and was so grateful for what God had given her. When she smiled that beautiful smile, the love she had inside her came shining through. She was wise beyond her years and had an inner strength that only God could give.

Rachel had so much to deal with in her short time here, but she loved life and made the most of every moment. She endured to the end, leaning on her Lord, knowing that He would take care of her. She found in Him that "peace that passeth all understanding."

Our hearts are shattered, our souls are weary, and life will never be the same without our precious Rachel. We lost a precious gift of God when she left us that morning, but our loss is Heaven's gain.

-written by her loving mother

 Alas! how changed that lovely flower
Which bloomed and cheered my heart!
Fair, fleeting comfort of an hour,
How soon we're called to part.

And shall my bleeding heart arraign
That God, whose ways are love,
Or vainly cherish anxious pain
For her who rests above.

No! Let me rather humbly pay
Obedience to His will,
And with my inmost spirit say,
"The Lord is righteous still."

From adverse blasts and lowering storms
Her favoured soul He bore;
And with yon bright, angelic forms,
She lives to die no more.

Why should I vex my heart, or fast?
No more she'll visit me;
My soul will mount to her at last,
And there my child I'll see.

Prepare, my blessed Lord, to share
The bliss Thy people prove;
Who round Thy glorious throne appear,
And dwell in perfect love .

- taken from the Thomas Hymnal

I'll love you forever,
I'll like you for always,
As long as I'm living
my baby you'll be.

Well, number 8 now. Eight years since we had Thanksgiving with you. 8 years of missing you. 8 years of pretending. 8 years of longing to be with you. I guess I could look at it as 8 years closer to you. Either way, I am thankful for the 22 years I had with you. You gave me so much joy and happiness and I am so very thankful for each moment I had with you. It just wasn't enough. I dreamed of you the other night-seemed like all night long. And of yourse you were sick.I would love to have a dream of us being together laughing and talking and hugging and all those sweet things we used to do. 

I got this idea yesterday. It's like you have a treasure that you keep hidden away because it is priceless. You put it in a drawer or box or something for safe keeping. Sometimes you think about that treasure, but you don't go get it out. Other things need to be taken care of. Still you know it is there. Other times you go get the treasure for a short space of time and hold it close to you cherishing its meaning; then dutifully you place it back where it belongs. Then some days all you want is that treasure and you take it out, and cling to it. It has to be a day when nothing interrupts you or distracts you. Iit brings smiles and tears. You know no one else can understand how important that tresuere is to you. No one else loves it like you do. So you keep your feeling s to yourself.

Rach, you are my special treasure. Today is Thanksgiving and i wish it could be one of those days when I could just be with my memories of you remembering all the good times and the bad ones. But today i will just bring you out for a little while. It's a busy day. You know what it is like. So I will tuck you safely away in my heart for today, I always know that you are there. I love you, baby girl. Happy Thanksgiving in heaven!