Betty Ann Barber

Betty Ann Cole Barber, of Bowdon, Georgia was born on March 10. 1943 in Fulton County, Georgia and passed away peacefully on January 29, 2026 surrounded by her family after a short and courageous battle with cancer.

Ann was the daughter of Waitsel Raymond Cole and Francis Elizabeth Melton Cole, both of whom preceded her in death, along with her beloved daughter, Beth Barber. Their reunion brings comfort to those she leaves behind.

She is survived by her son and daughter-in-law, Wiley Curtis Barber and Tammy Barber of Bowdon, Georgia; her only granddaughter, Kristen Brooke Adams, and her husband, JC Adams, also of Bowdon; her cherished great-grandson, Wyatt Easton Adams, who is expected to arrive in March; and her brother, Richard Cole of Cartersville, Georgia.

Ann worked hard her entire life. She raised her children as a single mother, providing not only for their needs but guiding them with strength, devotion and love. She was a good mother, steadfast, selfless and deeply committed to her family always there when you needed her.

She loved people and learning with equal passion. Her mind was sharp and endlessly curious, especially about history, politics and religion and she was delighted to share what she knew. If you cross paths with Ann, chances were you’d leave knowing something new.

The deep love of knowledge led her to her greatest passion, genealogy. Ann was an avid genealogist for many years, devoting countless hours to tracing family lines, uncovering stories, and preserving the lives of those who came before her. She believed every name mattered and every story deserved to be told and she pursued this work tirelessly until her final breath.

Ann truly never met a stranger. She had a gift for connection, always asking about your family, your roots and your story and often going one step further by researching your lineage as eagerly as her own. Through her, the past came alive and history became personal.

She also had a fond love for the one-armed bandits and was always up for a trip at a moment’s notice.

Ann will be deeply missed by her family and friends. She was a woman of true grit, whose legacy lives on in the stories she uncovered, the knowledge she shared and the generations-past, present and future she so dearly cherished.

A private Memorial will be held at a later date.

A special thank you to her caregiver Renea and to the Tanner Hospice care team.