Earldene Farmer Barnes, 77 of Fort Washington, Maryland.

Obituary

"Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!"
2 Corinthians 9:15

"For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. 8 For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's."

Romans  14:7-8

Earldene Farmer Barnes, lovingly known to most as "Dene" and Nana was born,  April 10, 1944 in Edgecombe County, North Carolina.  She was one of 11 children born to the late Oscar Farmer and Olivia Barnes Farmer.  Dene said goodbye to family and began her new journey of eternal peace on November 29, 2021, at Walter Reed Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland.

Dene graduated from Frederick Douglas High School in Elm City, North Carolina in 1961.  She later married Air Force NCO Vanjiman Barnes, and traveled the world before finally settling in the Washington, DC metropolitan region.  Dene spent a career working in the insurance industry, with most of her tenure served between Blue Cross & Blue Shield, and the Pension Benefits Guaranty Company (PBGC).

Dene became a mother to Jeffrey (1969) and Jennifer (1973) and loved her children, family and extended family beyond measure.  As siblings and relatives spread across the country, Dene made certain to stay in touch with loved ones with often daily phone chats with sisters, nieces and cousins.  She was an avid Redskins fan, and cheered for her "Skins" with a passion.  Dene was a fashion enthusiast and also cherished the ability and time to do some shopping, both at the malls and at home virtually, with her QVC and Home Shopping Network hobby.  She loved music and could often be found singing and dancing around the house.  She was also an active member of the Fort Foote Baptist Church home for decades and enjoyed time spent with church friends and neighbors of the community.  She absolutely loved the holidays with her family and grandchildren visiting and lived to prepare those BIG family holiday meals for family to sit around the table for hours.

Dene was preceded in death by two brothers, Benjamin and James Albert Farmer; three sisters, Mary Louise Farmer Dancy, Amy Rea Farmer Gray, and Delois Mercer.

Dene leaves to cherish her memories: her husband of 55 years, Vanjiman Barnes; son, Jeffrey Scott Barnes (wife-Bernadette) and daughter, Jennifer Renee Barnes.  She was Nana to four grandchildren, Jalen O'Neil, Camden Jarett, Connor Jeffrey and Chloe-Rose Olivia; also leaving two brothers, Oscar Farmer, Jr. (Catherine) and George Farmer (Carolyn); three sisters, Mamie Lee Moss, Ruth Mobley and Ethel Goode;  a niece who grew up as a sister, Bernice Barnes and a vast network of other loving nieces, nephews, cousins and close friends that she considered family.

"When you next see a butterfly floating by or landing on your shoulder, smile… it's just Dene dropping in to say hi, and let you know she's checking in on you"

– Jeff & Jennifer

Viewing, 10:00 a.m., Friday, December 17, 2021 until time of the Celebration of Life, 11:00 a.m. at Fort Foote Baptist Church, 8310 Fort Foote Road, Fort Washington, Maryland 20744. Interment, Maryland Veterans Cemetery, 11301 Crain Highway, Cheltenham, Maryland 20623.