Barbara Ann Askew

Our mother, Barbara Ann Thompson Askew, 86, passed away peacefully at the Bethany House on April 25, 2022.  Barbara was born on November 6, 1935 to Aubrey Herbert Thompson and Martha Lillian Bryant Thompson in the Beauregard community.  She attended Opelika City schools, and went on to obtain a degree in Dental Hygiene at the University of Alabama in Birmingham.  She married Jim Askew in 1957, and they were married for 59 years until his death in 2016.

     She was preceded in death by her parents and her beloved husband, James E. (Jim) Askew.  She is survived by her children, Sabrina (Ben), Shane (Monica), Joanna (Dave), Scott (Wendy) and Michael (Renee).  Barbara also leaves behind 10 grandchildren: Christopher (Nancy), Marissa, George (Erin), Larkin, James, Fowler, Aubrey, Sierra (Tim), Calen (Thomas) and Dylan.  Her great-grandchildren are Auden, Aubrey, Freya and Wilder.

     Mama worked in the dental hygiene field for a number of years.  She later began to work in the Opelika school system as a teacher's aide in order to be home with her five children after school.  After we were older, she also worked in our father's business, Jim's Pharmacy, for about 8 years.  She was a faithful and active member of Trinity United Methodist Church for 55 years, teaching Sunday School classes, going on mission trips and working on various committees.

     Mama was a totally committed wife, mother and Christian lady.  She was incredibly strong, as was demonstrated in her remarkable recovery from being badly burned in December of 1953 when she was in high school.  She was always curious and wanting to learn, especially about history and other cultures; she loved to read, and was dedicated to studying the Bible.  She was creative, always thinking up crafts and projects for us to do, and she was a very good artist.  And she and Daddy were so much fun!  One of our many great memories is of a two week camping trip that took us to the Rocky Mountains in a Pontiac sedan.  A family of seven grows very close after two weeks in a sedan and one tent, and we had a wonderful time!  But every day was special with her.  She was humble, generous, loving, kind, and accepting of anyone.  She took pleasure in hosting not only our friends and family, but foreign exchange students and many Korean ladies who were new to Opelika.  And she took the time to ask questions and learn all she could from everybody.  She was simply a wonderful mother and friend, and will be missed by so many.

     A visitation will be held at Jeffcoat-Trant Funeral Home on Friday, April 29th from 6:00 until 8:00.  The funeral service will be at Trinity United Methodist Church on Saturday, April 30th at 11:00.  Memorials may be made to the Trinity United Methodist Church Missions Fund at 800 2nd Avenue, Opelika, Alabama, 36801, to Wounded Warriors, or the the East Alabama Food Bank.