Barbara K. Penrod, Bobbie Katherine, as she was known to her family and friends was raised during the depression era by a family of coal miners and famers in the heart of Bluegrass Country in Muhlenberg County. Her family attended the Beechmont Kentucky Church of Christ during a time when scripture was quoted from the pulpit and at home, week long gospel meetings were common, and tent meetings drew people from far and near alike. Being a member of the Church was a great source of pride (just the right amount) a true badge of honor. It was the first thing you would learn about them, along with being true, hardworking, and kind. They had a true sense of family. At 11 years old mom worked for a family cooking, cleaning and doing laundry just to help her family get by.
From an early age mom loved to sing and perform. Her and aunt Dean would hide behind their broken radio and entertain the family harmonizing together on a regular basis. People said she had a voice to rival Patsy Cline so Uncle Jack had arranged for her to audition at a local radio station. Unfortunately, unforeseen circumstances prevented her from going. (I always said it was a God thing because if she had gone, I probably wouldn’t be here today….) She was a published poet and wrote many songs during her lifetime, several of which she had copy written. It wasn’t until I was a young adult that I found out that Uncle Jack was friends with Merle Travis (who could not get a single note out of Uncle Jack’s horn) and Grandma Katie picked guitar and sang with the Everly Brother’s fathers out on her back porch. Guess it ran in the family.
She was not only musically gifted but extremely intelligent. So much so that her teachers regularly used her test answers as the grading key throughout High School. She had an excellent memory and graduated from Hughes-Kirkpatrick High School a year early in 1950.
She met and married Willard Beasley on May 5, 1951. Five months later he was killed in the Korean War on October 10, 1951. She was pregnant with their son Randy Wayne Beasley (later Sherrod) who was born the following year. After relocatining back home mom was moved to buy the farm where her parents lived and remodeled the Penrod home place. She wanted more than anything for her parents to never have to worry again and for all her family to have a place to always come home to. Even to her last breath, family was truly her legacy.
Mom and dad (Jesse) met while roller skating. Dad said she looked so pitiful and he just had to go help her up. At least that was the story he told… We all knew mom never did anything that wasn’t minimally excellent so judge for yourself. They married on November 20, 1954 and remained so until dad’s passing last year on March 21, 2021.
Throughout her life Mother did many things in addition to being an excellent homemaker, seamstress, military wife, and Christian Sister to all she met. She went to beauty school to become a cosmetologist, a real estate agent, and when her real estate broker proved less than honorable, she went back and got her broker’s license. Her Civil Service career began in the Commissary, and moved to Medical Records, then to Central Appointments, culminating as Chief Supervisor of Central Appointments at Fort Sam Houston. She retired in 1994 to enable her to care for her ailing sister, Dean who still lived in Kentucky.
She was the true Spiritual Matriarch of our family and to all who knew her. She adopted more people during her lifetime than I can name or number. She always spoke the truth, with love, because you needed to hear it. She was happiest when she was helping others, which was always.
Thank you mom for the living and loving example of Christ you were to us all. You prepared us long before you left, but we miss you all the more.
Barbara K. Penrod Sherrod, 89, of Cibolo Texas, went peacefully to her reward on Friday, December 2. 2022. She was born on August 20th, 1933 in Beech Creek, Kentucky, the eighth of nine children born to Arthur and Katie Penrod.
She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Willard Beasley and her husband Jesse Sherrod, her son Jesse Sherrod JR., her brothers Jack, Raymond, Tom, and Bennie Penrod and sisters Grace Cabbage, Margaret Smith, Jonell Rickman, and Dean Littlefield. Mom was the last of her family, and as always, she was there for them all. She is survived by her children Randy Sherrod, Vicky Owens, and Tammy Ransleben, 9 grandchildren and 12 great grandchildren.
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