Barbara Ann Childress Westbrook

A celebration of life for Mrs. Barbara Ann Childress Westbrook will be held at 3:00 P.M., Saturday, February 1, 2025, at Mulhearn Funeral Home, West Monroe with Rev. Chris Winterman officiating. A private graveside will be held for family only. The visitation will be held from 2:00 P.M. until the time of service.

Barbara was born on October 4, 1937, in Mansfield, Louisiana and passed away on January 29, 2025, in West Monroe, Louisiana.

She was the youngest of five children and early on it was apparent that she had her mother’s gifts of determination and perseverance, and she could be contrary just like her daddy. She grew up in a family that set a high value on education. Neither of her parents attended high school; they earned their living repairing shoes and wanted better for their children. Elizabeth Childress especially wanted her daughters to be self-supporting, her sons finished college first, then helped their sisters. After graduating from Mansfield High School, she earned a bachelor’s degree from Northwestern State University and a master’s degree from Louisiana State University. Mrs. Childress proudly watched Barbara graduate from Northwestern State University in January of 1959. She went on to teach mathematics’ at Bossier High School and a FORTRAN programmer at Louisiana State University prior to joining the mathematics’ faculty at Northeast Louisiana University. She remained in that position until her retirement from that position. After that, for a few years she worked part-time at Riley Oil and Gas.

Her brother Hollie's wife, Florrinell, had suggested that she get a degree in home economics education; her brother Jim insisted she take mathematics. It was good advice and Barbara loved both subjects. The things she learned in home economics she used every day the rest of her life, and she made a career in mathematics. She continued her education with a Master of Arts in mathematics at LSU and additional courses in mathematics and computer science at other universities. Barbara had a gift for teaching--if she understood something, she could help you understand it too. She first taught high school mathematics in Springhill and Bossier. For a short time, she left teaching to be a Fortran programmer for a group of physicists at LSU but accepted a position in the mathematics faculty at NLU in 1969 and remained there until her retirement. She loved the work she believed God chose for her.

Barbara was a Christian from childhood and served First United Church of West Monroe for many years in many ways. Over time she had a turn on almost every committee. She taught the Fellowship Sunday School Class, was a member of the Chancel Choir, and was co-chairman of the Early Learning Center Committee for many years. She was instrumental in the design and construction of the Center's playground. During her years with the ELC the playground was expanded and improved, and Barbara was especially fond of the tricycle trail she designed. She served on the board of the Friends of the Ouachita Parish Public Library and enjoyed working at its fund-raising events. Mrs. Westbrook considered herself immeasurably blessed to have a loving family and friends, a home in this great nation, and a God to guide and comfort her all her days.

Barbara considered Van to be her greatest blessing and told him so. Many of us heard her say (she said it many times) that she "hit the jackpot" when she got Van because she got Tammy and Janet too. Kristin was a toddler when Van and Barbara met, and when she said the name, it was "Barbar", so that became her title in the Westbrook family. All the grandchildren and all their friends called her "Barbar:' Barbara said she hoped that's what Jesus would call her.

An abiding concern of Barbara's life was that she do everything she could for her disabled older brother, Perry. People who knew her and her efforts on his behalf assured her she had, but it was always a heartache. Barbara was good at solving problems, but one thing she could never figure out was why so many wonderful people chose to be her friends.

She is preceded in death by her loving husband, Van Westbrook; parents, James and Elizabeth Childress; brothers, Hollie Childress, James Childress, and Perry Childress; son-in-law, Greg Slocum, and sister, Sara Vercher.

Those left to cherish Barbara’s memory are Tammy Slocum Cox and husband, David and Janet Cook and husband, Tom; granddaughters, Kristin Hill and husband, Kyle, Alayna Eley and husband, David and Shannon Schomaker and husband, Adam; great grandchildren, Spencer Hill, Jude Hill, Gavin Eley, Emma Eley, Scarlett Schomaker, and Vivian Schomaker; niece, Sharon VanTyne and husband, Rick; grandnephew, Eric VanTyne and wife, Lorna; and great grand nephew’s, Landon and Liam VanTyne.

Memorials may be made to the First Methodist Church of West Monroe, LA. The family would like to extend many thanks to all the caregivers in her final months. Special thanks go out to Louisiana Hospice Caregivers, Chaplain, Ridgecrest Nursing Home, and all of the people who assisted her to the end of her life.