Obituary – Barbara Ann Perdue Middleton

Published 1:49 pm Thursday, December 26, 2024

Our beloved Barbara Ann Perdue Middleton passed away peacefully on Saturday, Dec. 21, at the age of 86, after a short illness in Greenville. She was born on July 29, 1938.  

Funeral Services will be held on Saturday, Dec. 28, beginning at 2 p.m. at Spring Creek Baptist Church with Brother John Massey officiating. Burial will follow in the church cemetery. The family will receive friends for visitation beginning at 1 p.m. until service time.

She was preceded in death by her father and mother, Clady Payton Perdue and Freddie Kennedy Perdue, her sister Linda Barganier, her first husband Ervin Maddox, Jr., her second husband Willie Gene Middleton, and brothers-in-law Joseph L. Barganier and Daniel J. Edgar.

Those left to cherish precious memories of her include her son Johnny Ray Maddox (Mitzi), Montgomery, AL; granddaughter Merri Paden (Scott), Hodges, South Carolina; grandson Adam Maddox (Ginger), Auburn; great-grandchildren Luke and Grant Paden and Kaitlin, Molly and Ryan Maddox; sisters Sylvia Edgar of Eutaw; Charlotte Spann (Donnie) of Honoraville; Sandra Lohrisch (David) of Jackson, Mississippi; Peytie Bowen (Gerald) of Montgomery and numerous nephews and nieces.  

Barbara worked 33 years as a bookkeeper at Greenville Cash & Carry. She also worked as a bookkeeper for Norman Trading in Fort Deposit for many years prior to that.

She was a devoted servant of God who lived a life of love, care and compassion for all. She was a faithful member of Spring Creek Baptist Church for 73 of her 86 years where she served in numerous positions over the years. 

Barbara was the heart of her family. She will forever be remembered for the way she loved her family, friends and church family. She always remembered birthdays, had gifts for everyone at Christmas, prepared favorite dishes for her loved ones, organized family reunions and made everyone feel special.  Her heart to help people was evident from the numerous community activities in which she participated. She leaves a legacy of incredible volunteer service, and she loved every minute of it as well as the special friends she made along the way. Barbara’s gentle kindness and her never-ending service to others touched the lives of all who knew her. 

Barbara loved to travel and had been to Australia, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland, Switzerland, as well as numerous places in the US. She was especially fond of the scenic beauty of our national parks. Her favorite places to travel though were to Orange Beach or Panama City Beach, Florida with her sisters and their families.

She also had a passion for camellias. She was a longtime member of the Greenville Camellia Society and tirelessly promoted the beauty and significance of these flowers. She was a devoted advocate for Greenville’s camellia plants and heritage as “The Camellia City.” She was an accomplished camellia grower, a camellia photographer and had painted many watercolors of her favorite flower. 

An avid local historian, she served as president of the Butler County Historical and Genealogical Society for 22 years and initiated and accomplished many important history and preservation projects for Greenville and Butler County. She was also a historian for the Butler County Baptist Association and the Director of Missions and Church Historian for her church. She was president of the Steiner Store Homemakers Club. She was awarded the 2023 Spirit of Greenville Award from the Greenville Area Chamber of Commerce for her civic work, volunteer service and lifelong contributions to the community.

Flowers will be welcomed, or contributions can be made to the Perdue Cemetery Fund at 6686 Steiner Store Road, Honoraville, AL 36042 or Spring Creek Baptist Church at 142 Ashmore Road, Honoraville, AL 36042.