02

02/09/07 - NNHS Newsletter - Myrtle Snyder Barnes

Myrtle Sue Inez Snyder Barnes
(14 July 1933 - 8 Feb 2007)

Valedictorian of the Newport News High School Class of 1951

Dear Friends and Schoolmates,

There is more sad news today.

From the Daily Press - 02/13/07:
	Myrtle Sue Inez Snyder	"Ditty" and Frank [Simmons] working on the Newport News High School newspaper, The Beacon	Staff Reporter, The Times-Herald	Managing Editor, Daily Press & The Times-Herald	Winner of the 1986 George Mason Award, Richmond Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists, with her daughter, Donna Leigh, and her son, David


	1993 Inductee, Virginia Communication Hall of Fame	With her husband of nearly 25 years, the late Shelton Winborne Barnes	Trip to Richmond with her daughter, Donna Leigh, and her son, David	Trip to Vegas with "The Girls" [Ruth Robertson, Margie Fisher, June Nicholson, & Pat Matheny]	Trip to Nags Head with grandson, Stephen, and son, David


	Cruise with friend, Sheridan Taylor	Class of '51 reunion, with classmate, Nancy Moore	Proud grandma with Stephen Brett Byers at his high school graduation	Outstanding Library Friend Award, Virginia Library Association

From the Daily Press - 02/09/07:

Myrtle Sue Snyder Barnes

HAMPTON - Myrtle Sue Snyder Barnes of Hampton, the first woman managing editor of Virginia newspapers with circulation over 100,000, died Thursday, Feb. 8. She was 73. Mrs. Barnes was managing editor of the Daily Press and The Times-Herald from 1982 to 1987, and was the first woman managing editor of a daily newspaper to be named to the Virginia Communications Hall of Fame, the first woman to head Virginia Associated Press Newspapers and to be president of the Norfolk Chapter, Society of Professional Journalists. She received the George Mason Award for journalism excellence from the Richmond Chapter of SOJ, the Distinguished Service Award from the Associated Press Managing Editors, was a former president and Press Woman of the Year of Virginia Press Women and won numerous state and national writing and editing awards in a news career spanning five decades. Mrs. Barnes was the widow of Shelton Winborne Barnes, who died in 1979. She is survived by her son and daughter-in-law, David Brian and Geni Barnes of York County; her daughter and son-in-law, Donna Leigh and Douglas Boulter of Alexandria and her grandson, Stephen Brett Byers, of Somerville, Mass. Mrs. Barnes was born July 14, 1933 in Farmville, Va. to the late Alma White Hillsman Snyder and George McClure Snyder. Her great-grandfather, James Moses Hillsman, was a Civil War surgeon and his home is preserved in the Sailor's Creek Battlefield Historic State Park in Amelia, Va., marking the last battle of the Civil War. Her father was a grocer with Colonial Stores and the family lived in Onancock, Portsmouth and Hampton before moving to Newport News in 1940. She was an all-A valedictorian of Newport News High School, Class of 1951, and received a full scholarship from the Daily Press to attend Medill School of Journalism, Northwestern University, where she graduated with highest honors in 1955. She was the first person on either side of her family to attend college and was proud that she was able to pay her way with scholarships and part-time jobs. She interned with the Peninsula's afternoon paper, The Times Herald, and joined it full-time in 1955. She became the education reporter and specialized in that while her children were young. For several years she edited the Teen-Herald, a tabloid written by and produced for local high schoolers. She returned to work full-time in 1968, became assistant city editor in 1970, city editor in 1973, metro editor and then assistant managing editor. During the mid- to late-1970s, the afternoon paper won six Distinguished Service Awards from the Virginia Press Association. In 1982, she headed the combined news staffs of both papers. After Tribune Co. purchased the local papers, she became administrative editor and later added the duties of reader editor. She took early retirement in 1996 so she could perform some volunteer service for the communities she loved. Arthritis problems that hampered mobility quickly limited her volunteerism to Friends of the Newport News Public Library, but she served that group in various capacities including president, treasurer and book sales chairman. She was named Volunteer of the Year by the Virginia Library Association in 2004. Mrs. Barnes was a member of Temple Baptist Church and in her younger years taught Sunday school there. She was active in the Parent-Teachers Association while her children were young, served as president of the city PTA Council and was awarded a life membership in the National Congress of Parents and Teachers. She loved to travel and for some 20 summers vacationed on the Outer Banks with newspaper friends from Richmond, Roanoke and Norfolk. They, along with Newport News friends, were her companions on more than 25 annual trips to see Broadway plays, frequent trips to Las Vegas and vacations to most of the major cities of the USA, cruises to Alaska, Hawaii, the Caribbean, and trips to England, France, Portugal, Spain and Italy. Mrs. Barnes loved the theater and was a long-time supporter of Virginia Stage Company. She also enjoyed handwork and jigsaw puzzles, but her main love was reading. A "night person" and prolific reader, she spent many an enjoyable hour with book in hand. Mrs. Barnes contracted esophageal cancer in 2005, which she battled for nearly two years before dying at home. There will be no funeral service – "she hated to go to funerals," her children say. A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 17, at Peninsula Funeral Home, Newport News. The body will be cremated and her ashes scattered in a private ceremony. Memorial gifts may be sent to Friends of the Newport News Public Library, 700 Town Center Parkway, Suite 300, Newport News 23606.

Published in the Daily Press on 2/9/2007.
Guest Book

To The Family Of Myrtle:

The staff and congregation of Temple Baptist Church would like to extend to you our deepest sympathy.

If there is any thing we can do for you at any time, please feel free to call on us at 595-1175.

Temple Baptist Church (Newport News, VA) - February 9, 2007
Contact me

Please accept my deepest sympathies.
...................................
I lived across the street , with my mother and father, from Ms. Barnes ,
and her mother and father,
from 1947-1951. A wonderful, kind
person was Ms. Barnes

Alexander Nicol (Hampton, VA) - February 9, 2007

Among the items in Myrtle’s office at the Daily Press was a sign that read “Assume nothing,” an admonition to novice journalists never to take anything for granted. How I wish I’d paid more attention to that sign myself and not just assumed that Myrtle would always be there to advise, to encourage, and to care. Though we seldom saw each other after she retired, she told me of her illness at one of those chance meetings, and I had prayed for her daily ever since. I’m grateful that her pain and suffering have ended, but what I wouldn’t give just to be able to have one more conversation with her. I extend my sincere sympathy to her family.

Missy Hespenhide (Newport News, VA) - February 9, 2007

My condolences to Myrtle's family. As a former T-H staffer, I count myself as part of Myrtle's extensive newspaper family. I am a different, better person for having known her.

Alan Stoudnour (Va. Beach, VA) - February 10, 2007
Contact me

Myrtle was a wonderful colleague when I was a budding reporter at the DP. She was a true professional and a terrific person. My sincere condolences to the family.

Norman Covert (Frederick, MD) - February 10, 2007
Contact me

Momma, I miss you more than words could ever begin to say.

Donna Leigh Barnes Boulter (Alexandria, VA) - February 11, 2007

I was sad to hear of Mrs. Barnes' passing. I have admired and respected her since I began to work at the Daily Press in 1986. She was an extremely fair supervisor and a wonderful person who was interested in her employees on a personal level. I will never forget her or her kindness to me.

Lore McDonald (Newport News, VA) - February 13, 2007
Contact me

I hope you are in a better place, Mom. I know you deserve to be.

David Barnes (Yorktown, VA) - February 13, 2007
Contact me

Our sincerest sympathies are extended to the Barnes family at this difficult time.

From Donna Leigh Barnes Boulter of Northern VA - 02/13/07 - "Myrtle S. Barnes, Class of '51":

The following obituary information is for my mother, Myrtle S. Barnes, NNHS, Class of '51.

(Enclosed is the AP news release.)

(The above Daily Press) Obit information (was) prepared by my mother prior to her death.

Donna Leigh Barnes Boulter

From the AP Published: February 09, 2007 1:00 PM ET:

Myrtle Sue Snyder Barnes Myrtle Sue Snyder Barnes, a pioneering Virginia journalist and former managing editor of the Daily Press of Newport News and its defunct afternoon edition, died Thursday. She was 73. Barnes, managing editor at the papers from 1982 to 1987, was the first woman to hold that position at a Virginia newspaper with a circulation of more than 100,000. She was also the first woman managing editor of a daily newspaper to be named to the Virginia Communications Hall of Fame and the first woman to head Virginia Associated Press Newspapers. Barnes won a number of state and national writing and editing awards in a career spanning five decades, including the Distinguished Service Award from the Associated Press Managing Editors and the Virginia Press Women's Press Woman of the Year. Colleagues said Barnes was a tough but caring journalist who worked to advance women in journalism. Carolyn West, a former Daily Press assistant managing editor, said Barnes could have worked at any of the country's top newspapers. Daily Press Editor Ernie Gates said Barnes was a pioneer and teacher. "She was totally committed to the power of local journalism — from querulous, independent public service investigations to celebratory neighborhood news," Gates said. Barnes died of cancer. A memorial service is planned for Feb. 17 at Peninsula Funeral Home in Newport News.
Published by the AP: February 09, 2007 1:00 PM ET

Thank you so much for the more complete information, Donna Leigh, and once again, may I offer my deepest sympathies on the loss of your mother. This Newsletter will, of course, be kept as a permanent memorial.

Y'all take good care of each other! TYPHOONS FOREVER!

Love to all, Carol

==============================================

NNHS CLASS OF '65 WEB SITE: http://www.nnhs65.00freehost.com

PERSONAL WEB SITE: http://www.angelfire.com/weird2/cluckmeat

==============================================

Carol Buckley Harty
219 Four Ply Lane
Fayetteville, NC 29311-9305
910-488-9408

Come, Ye Disconsolate

Words by Thomas Moore; alt. by Thomas Hastings
Music by Samuel Webbe

Come, ye disconsolate, where'er ye languish.
Come to the mercy seat, fervently kneel.
Here bring your wounded hearts, here tell your anguish;
Earth has no sorrow that heaven cannot heal.

Joy of the desolate, light of the straying,
Hope of the penitent, fadeless and pure!
Here speaks the Comforter, tenderly saying,
"Earth has no sorrow that heaven cannot cure."

Here see the bread of life; waters flowing
Forth from the throne of God, pure from above.
Come to the feast of love; come, ever knowing
Earth has no sorrow but heaven can remove.

"Come, Ye Disconsolate" midi courtesy of http://www.snowcrest.net/lassen/midi.html - 10/06/05

"Come, Ye Disconsolate" lyrics courtesy of http://gbgm-umc.org/music/discons.html - 10/06/05

Blackwork Flowers Divider Line clip art courtesy of http://www.bravenet.com - 08/12/04

Greg Olsen Paintings courtesy of http://gregolsengallery.com – 03/15/05

Back to NNHS Newsletters - 2006

Back to NNHS Newsletters - 2007

Return to NNHS Class of 1965