Barbara (Hatfield) Manning was born at home in Seminole County, Oklahoma on Dec. 7, 1938. Her parents were Joseph and Janie Hatfield. She had one older brother, Charles, and two older sisters, Joyce and Billie. She loved being the youngest, and adored her siblings. She was a 1957 graduate from Bowlegs High School, where she was active in basketball, choir, and band. She sang beautifully and played the clarinet with grace. She went on to attend East Central University in Ada, Oklahoma; while at ECU she was a member of the Chi-Omega sorority and continued her musical endeavors by playing the clarinet with the ECU band. During her college days, Barbara was selected Homecoming Queen and married her college sweetheart Henry Ray Manning.
They both chose the field of Education for their profession. Barbara would move with Henry as he advanced his coaching career with stops in Amarillo TX, Sapulpa OK, Arlington TX, and finally settling for good in Del City, Oklahoma. She would teach first grade wherever they went, and finally retired from Del City Elementary in 2000. She was an outstanding teacher, and a devoted football coach’s wife. She would brave the wind, rain, sleet, and snow to support her husband. Although she was a fierce and supportive fan, she was a kind and sweet soul, who never had an unkind word for anyone. Along the way, Barbara and Henry added three children to their family: Michele, Melissa, and Hank. Their children would go on to give them eight grandchildren: Lynlea, Riley, Hunter, Garret, Grant, Madeline, Sydney, and Mason. Barbara was later blessed with two great-grand-children: Ender and Major.
Barbara enjoyed many activities outside sports such as oil painting, bridge and bowling with friends, sewing, gardening, playing piano and guitar, cooking, and candy making… She was talented, to say the least, and had a good sense of humor. Barbara had many successes in life but felt her greatest achievement was being a mother, we the children could not have asked for a better one.
Barbara will be greatly missed by her family and friends.
