Morganton Honors Barbara Stephens

It was a Saturday afternoon family reunion at the Love home place on the corner of US 76 and Hwy 60.  Family and friends gathered underneath the tremendous oak tree in the front yard to honor Barbara Stephens commitment to the community of Morganton by naming Morganton’s stretch of Hwy. 60 the Barbara Stevens Memorial Highway.

“Ms. Stephens epitomized what caring about your community is,” said House Speaker David Ralston as he presented House Resolution 1524, which establishes the Barbara Stephens Memorial Highway.  Mr. Ralston read a venerable list of actions Ms. Stephens performed to serve her community.  These include:

• 13 ½ years as mayor of Morganton
• Prevented Morganton from disbanding and becoming an unincorporated community in Fannin
• Modernized Morganton’s water lines and increased water services to all areas of the Morganton community
• Established fire station in Morganton
• Taught at East Fannin Elementary School
• Taught Sunday School at Temple Baptist Church

Bill Stephens, Ms. Stephens’ son, said his mother was an authentic mountain woman: tough and tender, independent, self-sufficient and of strong faith.  She would have loved being here, not for the signs, but for the friends.  He told onlookers that every time they drove by the signs to have a positive thought about how much Ms. Stephens loved being here, in Georgia.

The branches of the Stephen’s family that were at the naming ceremony were as thick, strong and numerous as the branches on the tremendous oak tree in the front yard.  My apologies to the Stephens family if I mixed up some of the numerous branches that were there.

Keeping with the family spirit, I found out that I may be a distant twig on the family tree, growing out of the Love family branch.  My husband’s family, three generations back, hails from the same area of North Carolina as the Loves do. Some generations back, the Love family migrated from Morganton, North Carolina to Morganton, Georgia.

The McDaris and Querry families came to honor Ms. Stephens.  Jim McDaris, first cousin to Ms. Stephens, grew up on the other side of the creek from her.

 

 

 

 

 

In the summers, Ms. Owenby and Ms. Stephens would just get in the car, go and have fun.  Their trips took them to Arizona and Florida.  Ms. Owenby was glad she could attend to honor such a sweet person.

 

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Inez Davis was neighbors with Veech Stephens on Cutcane Road.  Ms. Davis’ daughter, Dannette, got to attend the ceremony in spirit. Ms. Davis’ election sign, on the corner of 76 and 60,  looks onto the gathering.

 

Larry Williams worked for Ms. Stephens as Water Commissioner for Morganton when Morganton was putting in its water system.  Mr. Williams said Ms. Stephens was more than a boss, she was a friend.  Even now, Morganton’s water system is benefitting more than just the people who live in Morganton.  The Fannin County Water Authority  is buying water from Morganton to provide to homes north of 515.

 

 

 

Even House Speaker David Ralston is part of the Stephens family.  In August, his niece will marry Josh Stephens, oldest grandson of Barbara Stephens.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Larry Jo and Shirley Sosebee kept with the family spirit by bringing their own family spirit, grandson Hudson Franklin.

 

 

State Senator Steve Gooch assisted House Speaker David Ralston with the ceremony.