"Betty" Mary Elizabeth Barrow Sweeney

June 15, 1928 - March 25, 2011

Mrs. Mary Elizabeth “Betty” Barrow Sweeney, age 82, a well known and long time resident of Maury County passed away Friday morning, March 25, 2011 at Maury Regional Medical Center following an extended hospital stay.

Funeral Services for Mrs. Sweeney will be held at 2:00PM on Monday, March 28, 2011 at First Presbyterian Church in Columbia with Rev. Joe Evans officiating. Private interment will be in Rose Hill Cemetery. The family will visit with friends on Sunday, March 27, 2011 from 2:00-6:00PM at Heritage Funeral Home and one hour prior to the service on Monday at the church. Heritage Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.

A native of Maury County, she was the daughter of the late Annie May Orr Barrow and the late Robert Church Barrow. She was a member of the First Presbyterian Church. She lived for many years in Church House on West Seventh Street, which was the family home from 1893 to 1979. On her eighteenth birthday she was married to Sam P. Sweeney III, who died on September 11, 1983. She was related to many in the county through Nathaniel Moore and Alexander Orr, early residents.

Mrs. Sweeney enjoyed participating in many community events. She especially relished Polk Home-related pilgrimages, which she attended with her friend Emily Long and her cousins, the late Loretta Pinkleton and the late Mary Jane Beasley.

Mrs. Sweeney is survived by her sons: Robert Barrow Sweeney of Columbia and Sam P. (Vicki) Sweeney of Franklin, TN; two granddaughters: Vaughn (Keith) Cockrum of Boonville, IN and Brooke Sweeney of Franklin, TN; three great-grandchildren: Jakob, Cooper and Liam Cockrum; a nephew, Bill (Patti) Coppedge of Northbrook, IL and several cousins.

In addition to her parents and husband, she was preceded in death by two sisters: Girard Anne Tritchler Coppedge and Margaret Orr Barrow.

Pallbearers will be Glenn Truelove, Mike Sharpton, Chris Cook, Wally Beasley, David Perdue, Mark Hines, Keith Baker, Ron Strand, Joe Kilgore, Bill Arnett and Jeff Jacobs.

Honorary Pallbearers will be Naomi Harris, Corinne Wells, Doris Pratt, Joyce and Billy Pressnell, Annette and Adam Thomas, Jeraldyne Burt Reed, Shelby Graham, Elizabeth Potts, Pam Perdue, J.B. Long, Cyndi Hodges, Dr. William. G. Fuqua, Laurie Pinkleton, Sherri Darnell and Larry and Linda Brewer.

Memorials may be made to First Presbyterian Church 801 S. High Street, Columbia, TN 38401; First United Methodist Church (church of her childhood) 222 W. 7th Street, Columbia, TN 38401; or Maury County Public Library 211 W. 8th Street, Columbia, TN 38401.

You may send public or private condolences to the family members at the funeral home website: click on "Sign Guest Book" or "Send Private Condolences" or Bob Sweeney P.O. Box 1701 Columbia,TN 38402.