Marian Bareford

Marian (Mernie) W. Bareford, 87, of Tappahannock and Williamsburg, was granted her angel wings on July 10, 2018. She spent the last ten years of her life with dementia, yet embraced each phase of her life with grace and humor. She continued to enjoy practical jokes, hugs, and community sing-a-longs. Weeks before her passing Mernie often sang to herself and greeted visitors with smiles.

Mernie is survived by her three children and their spouses, Gary Bareford (Annette) of Tappahannock, Gail Hardinge (Baxter) of Barhamsville, and Gwen Vaughan (David Holland) of Quinton Virginia, and a sister, Jacqueline Hoff, of Eltham, eight grandchildren and six great grandchildren. In Mernie’s final years she was loved and cared for by her dear friend, Vanessa, and the kind staff at Clare Bridge.

Mernie was preceded in death by her husband, Bill, who left this earth far too early. Mernie continued on in what must have been a lonely stretch of time, yet she embraced her church family and was well known throughout her town for driving a bit too fast, and making surprise deliveries of flowers from her garden or bakery goods. If you were fortunate enough to be her bank teller, you may well be handed a homemade cake. Mernie loved holidays and family, she loved to entertain and when she no longer lived at home, she found a special place in the hearts of caregivers and friends.

A memorial will be held at Marks-Bristow Chapel in Tappahannock on Saturday, July 14 with family receiving guests at 1:30 and the service at 2:00.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to: Hospice House & Support Care of Williamsburg, 4445 Powhatan Parkway, Williamsburg VA 23188 (williamsburghospice.org) or The Alzheimer's Foundation (alzfdn.org).