Courtesy of ShebyCountyToday.Com

Barbara Nell Askins, 85, of Nacogdoches, Texas, passed away on May 26, 2016 in Garrison, Texas. Graveside service for Barbara will be on Saturday, May 28, 2016 at 2:00 PM at Woodlawn Cemetery in Timpson, Texas with Rev. Rick Anderson officiating.

Barbara Nell Frazier (nicknamed "Bab") was born on September 23, 1930, at the "Johns Place," a farm near Buena Vista, Texas on which her grandfather, Will Thomasson, worked as overseer. Her parents, Mamie Almeda Thomasson and Herman Marion Frazier, had one other child, James Marion, born in 1929.

Bab was raised in Timpson, Texas. In her book, Memories of a Small Town, she described herself as "a child of the Great Depression." Her father worked in local cafes and as a house painter and paper hanger. Her mother was a telephone operator. The family lived with Herman's mother, Laura, in her house on Todd St. Bab was a "straight-A" student, and graduated from Timpson High School in 1947 at age 16. In high school she participated in pep squad, drill team, and class plays. She learned to play Laura’s old upright piano, and performed in recitals at the school. She enjoyed keeping in touch with her classmates and attending class reunions through the years. 

In 1951, Barbara married Horace Askins, who grew up in the Blair community near Timpson. They lived in Lufkin, Texas where their three children were born. Horace died in 1969, and Barbara, with her usual grit and determination, worked full time to raise and provide for her children.

Barbara's long working life began when she picked cotton on a farm near Timpson. Later, she packed tomatoes, a job she loved and described vividly in her book. She worked for many years and in many capacities at Lufkin's Memorial Hospital. In the mid-1960's she attended computer data entry school in Dallas, and then taught that skill to fellow Memorial workers. Her other occupations included: telephone operator, retail clerk, hotel desk clerk, real estate agent, employment agency owner, school secretary, bookkeeper, and college dorm supervisor. At age 69, she retired from her position as secretary to the chairman of the foreign language department at Stephen F. Austin State University.

Barbara was christened at an early age in the Methodist church. She and Horace were for many years faithful members of Parkview Baptist Church in Lufkin.

Barbara was proud to be a lifelong "yellow dog Democrat." She worked tirelessly for the party and its candidates, and even made her own run for political office. She loved books, especially historical fiction. Her passion for family history research, along with a love for words and stories, led to her own self-published book, a local best seller.

In her memoir, Barbara recalled that she grew up "town poor" – meaning everybody in town knew just how poor she was – but she wrote about warm memories of relatives and neighbors who helped each other out in lean times. In some ways, those lean times defined her life. She worked hard and took fierce pride in her own self-sufficiency. But she also worked hard to provide for and raise her children – never seeking gratitude or praise – but deserving both.

May her soul dwell with the blessed, and may her memory be eternal.

The family is being served by Taylor Funeral Home, 511 Ross Graves Dr., Timpson, TX 75975.  To convey condolences online, please visit www.taylorfh.net.