Sister Barbara Ann Watson was born Barbara Ann White on November 18, 1943 to Mr. Tom and Eliza White, Sr.; both of whom preceded her in death. She grew up in Richmond, Virginia and attended Maggie Walker High School.
After hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ preached by the Late, Bishop Roland James Allen, Sister Barbara Watson accepted Jesus Christ as her personal Savior, on July 25, 1977, and until her death she continued to faithfully serve the Lord, under the leadership and guidance of Bishop Eddie E. Willis, Sr.
She was united in holy matrimony on March 14, 1980 to Brother Donnie Watson, who had also accepted Jesus Christ as his personal Savior. They were married for thirty-eight years. She became a wife to Brother Watson and was a mother to her four children as well as to his three children from a previous marriage, she loved them all.
Sister Barbara Watson held very prestigious positions of employment. She was employed for many years by the well-known Scarbrough Family, as Mrs. Scarbrough’s personal assistant. The Scarbrough Family are the owners of the 1st skyscraper in Austin, Texas, built in 1908. Inside the Scarbrough building, located at the southwest corner of Sixth Street and Congress Avenue, was a “costly high fashion clothing store”.
Another prominent Family in Kyle, Texas was the “Price Family” where she was employed by Mr. Timothy Price as a caretaker to his mother, Mrs. Lois Price, until his mother’s death.
She was also employed by the Lyndon Baines Johnson Family, our 36th president of the United States of America, where she was entrusted to be the personal caretaker and dresser of former President Johnson’s wife, Mrs. Lady Bird Johnson at the LBJ Ranch in Johnson City, Texas. Mrs. Lady Bird had confidence in Sister Watson, and she held a high security clearance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which enabled her to travel to Washington, D.C. with Mrs. Johnson.
Her last employer was Seton Health Care Centers, where she later retired.
During her forty-one years of living for Christ, she was a devoted member who could be called upon for any occasion and was very generous with the New Covenant Church members and auxiliaries. You would only have to let her know that there was going to be a Babes-in-Christ dinner, or any dinner, or any event and she would generously donate. She loved the Lord and showed it by deeds and truth. Sister Barbara Watson was a generous woman, who loved to share what she had with everyone. She had many secret alms of assistance. One of her secret alms was the support of Pure Inspiration, who were young teen girls who desired to live and sing for Christ at an early age. Now for over fifteen years, Pure Inspiration continues to perform songs that send messages of the love of Christ to the youth.
Sister Barbara Watson was a woman of great faith, the New Covenant Church witness numerous miracles done in her life…when doctors gave up, the Lord would raise her up many times through prayer. She was faithful to the service of the Lord and lifted up her voice to sing in the New Covenant Church Hope Choir until her health was failing and she could not. Her presence was greatly missed.
Brother Watson commented that, my wife, Barbara Ann Watson was and still is a very special woman to me; a woman whose special gift was love and hospitality. She used this love to glorify her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ for what he had done for her. Though she was sick many days she never lost her hope, love and zeal for Christ. Many miracles were done through her sicknesses, this time she said “LET ME GO, COME AND GET ME JESUS”.
Sister Barbara Ann Watson is now present with the Lord. She was a family woman who really loved her family; she was a wonderful wife, mother, grandmother, sister and aunt to each one of them. When she found the Christ, she told all her family so that all of them could have the opportunity to be saved and to know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of their lives. Her life was a real witness for Christ. We want to always remember her best friend, Sister Emma Brown, for when you saw one you saw the other…happy, smiling and putting love on everyone.
Personal comments from Sister Andrea Everett: She was a real dear friend to me; we shared a lot of life in Christ together. Our deeper bond as a family came when my son, Phillip and her grand-daughter Jennifer became husband and wife; and later two children Muhalo and Elisha were added to them as well as to us. She was known to them as the “Granny” with the candy; and as she has always loved her grandchildren and great grandchildren, she also loved these dear children as well.
Sister Barbara Ann Watson entered into eternal rest on May 3, 2018.
She leaves to cherish fond memories of her life to: her husband, Brother Donnie Ray Watson, Sr.; her seven children, James William Hill, Jr. (known as Tony) and his wife Roddy of Richmond, Virginia; Victor Lamont Hill and his wife Carolyn of Richmond, Virginia; Jonathan Hill and his wife Betty of Del Valle, Texas; her daughter Treda Hill of Austin, Texas; Donnie Donnell Watson and his wife Sherian; Melanie Watson, Donnie Ray Watson, Jr. and his wife Crystal; Her Twenty-Six Grand-Children and Twenty-Nine Great-Grand Children.
Her Brothers and Sisters: Mrs. Lu Manning; Mr. Tom White, Jr.; Mr. Arthur White, deceased; Mrs. Rosalee Elam, deceased; Mr. Herman White deceased; Mrs. Burnice Smith, deceased; Mr. Lloyd White, deceased; Mrs. Dorothy Powell and Mr. Sherman White; and a host of Nephews and Nieces, Relatives and Friends, as well as her New Covenant Church Family.
