Reverend Mays Milton Barnett

My grandfather, Mays Milton Barnett was born on July 10, 1888 in the Glassy Mountain area of Greenville County, South Carolina and was the son of Luther Pinckney and Mary Jane Fowler Barnett and was the first to attend college. Part of his early education was at North Greenville Baptist Academy where he met my grandmother, Miss Vannie James and was a 1917 graduate from Furman University.

In 1913, Mays and Vannie were married in Greenville County, South Carolina and out of this union were born five sons,James Long Barnett,Mays Milton Barnett Jr., Dean Albert Barnett, Luther Zedic Barnett, Lee Prince Barnett and three daughters, Mary Florence Barnett, Lila Eva Barnett and Ruth Martin Barnett.

For twenty years he was engaged in the ministry and had served as Pastor of several churches in Greenville County. He was a member of the Greenville Ministerial Union and the Baptists Ministers conference being past president of that organization.

Prior to moving back to Greenville my grandfather was engaged in the Baptist Home Mission Board where he held the office of principal of several mountain mission schools in Virginia, Alabama and North Carolina.

My grandfather passed away at his residence on March 9, 1932, 204 Choice Street in the Camperdown area of Greenville County, South Carolina. His services were held at Riverside Baptist Church where he was serving as pastor. In addition to his wife and children, he was survived by

five brothers, Perry Osteen Barnett, Marcus Henry Barnett, James Matthew Barnett, Carl Barnett, Walter Barnett and three sisters, Susan Lee Barnett West, Hattie Barnett Brown, and Mattie Barnett Henson. He was preceded in death by two sisters, Elizabeth Barnett Lister and Naomi Barnett Henson.

He is buried at Gowensville Baptist Church in Greenville, County, South Carolina.