Barbara Seagraves Tiller Carter

Barbara Anne Seagraves Tiller Carter was a teacher. That’s an obvious statement for a person who had 38-year career as a high school instructor, but it’s also a truism that ran beyond the classroom into every aspect of her ninety-two years on earth.

As a wife, mother, daughter, sister, Sunday School teacher, community volunteer, math teacher or friend, Barbara served as a guide, a support and an inspiration to all who knew her.

Her influence started early. Born at her family’s home on Poplar Street in Athens, Georgia to Harvey Lee (Bob) and Susie Reba Winn Seagraves on October 21, 1926, she quickly made an impact on her two-year-old sister Rebecca, who thought she had just been gifted with her very own real-life baby doll. Through their childhood, and the addition of brothers Donald and David to the fold, the sisters remained close, even as the younger sister took the lead in all their domestic and social activities.

She made friends easily and extended her circle to include children from other neighborhoods which came to play. She and her family were faithful members of East Athens Baptist Church, where she accepted Christ as her Savior and where eventually got her first taste of leading a Sunday School class. She was equally faithful in her academics, although socially popular, and excelled at her studies in school. In high school she found a love of mathematics and attention for her beauty and smile; she regularly had no less than four boys take turns escorting her on a portion of her daily walk home from school.

She graduated from Clarke County High School at the age of 16 and began her studies at Tift College in Forsyth, Georgia, where she became part of a tight-knit group of four life-long friends. Her graduation from Tift in 1947 (she later earned advanced degrees from both the Universities of Georgia and Alabama) led her to a crossroads. Her suitor in Athens wanted a traditional wife and marriage immediately, but she, quite revolutionary for the day, wanted to have a career before she wed. So, the relationship ended, and she got her first job teaching high school mathematics in Columbus, Georgia to a senior class whose members were just slightly younger in age than she.

Any worries about a romantic relationship ended when she agreed to a blind date, and met the love of her life, Goss Richardson Tiller. The two began a long-distance relationship between Georgia and Cleveland, Tennessee where he had recently accepted a job as a store manager. Finally, after many whirlwind weekend dates and letters, the two were married at East Athens Baptist Church on August 5, 1951.

They set up household in Cleveland and over the next eleven year, became the parents of three girls, Becky, Beth and Pati, who deeply loved and admired them. She instilled in her family a love for GOD and each other, service to others and a love for the many pets they had/have. Barbara continued her career during this time, teaching at Bradley County High School and Lee College then eventually becoming both teacher and vice-principal at Cleveland Day School, which she helped to found.

In 1970 the family relocated to Oxford, Alabama, and Barbara began teaching at The Donoho School (then the Anniston Academy). There she developed a reputation among her students (which all her daughters were at some point) for being tough but fair, supportive and caring. She served as Math Department Head at Donoho until 1988 when she became Computer Department Head and held that position until she retired at the close of the 1991 school year.

Barbara was not slowed by retirement. She remained very active at Meadowbrook Baptist Church as a Sunday School teacher, multi-committee member, volunteer and choir member. She maintained her membership in Delta Kappa Gamma and joined the Golden “K” Kiwanis Club and the local Daughters of the American Revolution. She tutored high school, college math students and family members and made a brief return to a school classroom as a teacher at Faith Christian School in Anniston. She volunteered to read to elementary classes in the Anniston system and at The Arc of Calhoun and Cleburne Counties.

She travelled extensively, with her sister and brother-in-law or other family, and with friends on excursions or on short-term missionary projects to Wales. In 1992 she joined a six-month residential nutritional research program in North Dakota.

She was a faithful financial supporter of all the causes she believed in, included her alma maters.

On January 15, 1994, after living as a widow since Goss’s sudden death in 1976, Barbara once again became a wife as she wed (ret.) Col. Bryant E. Carter. Their three-year marriage also brought her a new daughter, Mettie Bell, and more grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Barbara embarked on her last big adventure before leaving this earth in March of 2013 when she joined her sister Rebecca at Greenbriar at the Altamount in Birmingham, Al. There she met a host of new friends and new activities, including mentoring second-graders at a local school. She earned several residential awards during her stay there and was named the 2nd Floor Valentine Queen in February.

Barbara Carter died March 16 at St. Vincent’s Hospital Birmingham.

She is survived by her daughters Anne Rebecca Tiller Harrison (Steve) of Trussville, AL, Barbara Elizabeth Tiller Umbarger (Ellis) of Chattanooga, TN, Pati Tiller (David H. Montgomery) of Anniston, AL, step daughter Mettie Belle Carter Workun (Allyn) of Calgary, Canada, brother David Hartford Seagraves (Trixie) of Montgomery, AL, grandchildren Amy Rebecca Harrison (Dayne) of Trussville, Sarah Rebecca and Barbara Kathleen Umbarger, great-grandchildren Addison Claire and Tanner Dayne Harrison; step-grandson John Workun (Karalee) of Oklahoma City, OK, step-granddaughter Mettie Jane Wiskar (Richard), great step-grandchildren Zachary Workun (Karen) of Tulsa, OK, Gharrett Workun (Sarah) of Yukon, OK, Kendall Ran (Jon) of Norman OK, great, great step-grandchildren Isaiah and Gideon Workun, close friend Anne Smith (Terry) of Oxford, and a nephew, many nieces and several great nieces and nephews whom she loved dearly.

She was preceded in death by husband Goss R. Tiller and husband (ret.) Col. Bryant E. Carter, parents, Harvey Lee (Bob) and Susie Reba Winn Seagraves, half-siblings Lillian Gaynelle Seagraves Farr Wansley, Harvey Hill, Frank Edward, Nelson Hardy and Harold Lee Seagraves and their spouses; sister Susie Rebecca Baugh and her husband Herman, brother Donald Winn Seagraves and his wife Melissa and nephew Donald Winn Seagraves Jr.

Funeral services for Barbara Ann Seagraves Tiller Carter will be Thursday, March 21 at 2 p.m. at Meadowbrook Baptist Church, 1125 Meadowbrook Court, Oxford with Rev. Fred Beuto officiating. The family will welcome family, friends and former students at the church beginning and 12 noon.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations be made to the Gideons, or a local church or charity of choice.