Ms. Jo Carolyn Bell Barham, 79, of Linden, passed away Wednesday February 1, 2023 at Three Rivers Hospital in Waverly. She was born in Perry County as the first child to the late Crafton Bell, Sr. and Lucille Warren Bell. Jo began school in her early years at the Parnell School and graduated in 1961 from Linden High School. She helped her mother care for her younger siblings, Faye, Crafton and Linda before going to work at Linden Apparel. She married her husband G. W. on December 22, 1975. After Linden Apparel closed, she went to work for Linden Products, which later became Johnson Controls and then Fisher & Co./Team Linden until it closed in 2008. She was also a Professional dishwasher at the Video Corner for several years before fully retiring. She was a lifetime member of the Brush Creek Church of Christ. Although she had no children of her own, she treated her nieces and nephews and later on great nieces and nephews like they were her own. She never missed any event her nieces and nephews were a part of. She was an AVID ELVIS fan and collected albums and memorabilia her whole life. She enjoyed calling her friends and family on the phone daily and had a standing Friday night dinner date with her brother Crafton. She never missed a church service or Bible study. She was always willing to help out with dishes after a family get together and made Christmas fudge and divinity yearly. She had a weekly appointment at the hair salon and always had her fingernails painted. She was always up for a trip with her family to the mountains, beach or even the movies. She was good to everyone she met and loved her family and church family more than anything. In addition to her parents she is also preceded in death by her husband of 35 years G. W. Barham.
Survivors include her sisters Faye (Bobby Don) Simmons of Linden and Linda (George) Kington of Crossville, a brother Crafton (Betty) Bell, Jr. of Linden, 4 nieces and 3 nephews Angie (Cory) Arnold, Andrea (Brent) Garrison, Daniel (Kimberly) Patterson, Jon (Casey) Bell, Emily (Wes) Waters, Michael (Lori) Patterson and Mary (Bradley) Gabbert, 20 great-nieces and nephews and a host of other loving family members and many, many friends.
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