Cynthia Ann Barnes

Cynthia Ann Garrison was born to George Roscoe and Jennie Missouri (Williams) Garrison on October 8, 1948 in Detroit, Michigan. She was a strong woman of faith and baptized at a young age at Church of Our Father Missionary Baptist Church. She later joined King David Missionary Baptist Church and Greater Christ Baptist Church, and was an active member at both. She graduated from Osborn High School with honors in 1966. She married Arlis Gerald Swaker that same year. To this union was born three daughters: Julie, Cheryl, and Arlena.

Cynthia worked at Rafal Spice Company as a bookkeeper for many years, later becoming the bookkeeper with the Detroit Public Schools at Finney High School for 15 years. She worked for the State of Michigan in the Department of Human Services, retiring as a Supervisor after 10 years of service.

Cynthia was always interested in civic and humanitarian causes. She fondly remembers walking with Dr. Martin Luther King in his Detroit “Walk to Freedom” March in 1963. She sat on the board for Heartline, Inc., a woman’s shelter of the Michigan Lutheran Services organization. If anyone was ever in need, she was able to refer them to the appropriate place for services, complete with step by step instructions of what to do and say. She volunteered in many church activities, including a  mentoring program for young women called Transformation Rites of Passage at Greater Christ Baptist Church. She was a zealous advocate for women, children, and the poor. She was always willing to lend a helping hand and could be counted on for an empathetic ear and encouragement if you were in need.

In 2000, she married Oscar Joseph Barnes, Jr. and later moved to Idlewild, Michigan. She was active in the community, sitting on many committees and boards. She loved the history of the city, the people, and the slower pace of life. They travelled all over the country and the world, enjoying the sights, sounds, and food everywhere they went. She collected money from each place visited. She was always excited to see the money of countries others brought back as a souvenir when they travelled.

She is preceded in death by her parents, George Roscoe Jr. and Jennie Missouri (Williams) Garrison. She leaves to cherish her memory, her loving husband of nearly 25 years, Oscar Joseph Barnes, Jr.; three daughters: Julie Dawn Wilson, Cheryl Felicia Swaker-Coneal, and Arlena LaShawn Minter; brother and sisters: George (Sharyl) Garrison III, Brenda Kay Hunter, and Judith Mary (Ralph) Turner; two bonus daughters Roxanne Barnes and Dakera Barnes; nine grandchildren Herbert Lee Hall III, Ashlea Dominique (De’Ron) Bynum, Tabitha Marie (Brandon) Watson, Darcey Eugene (Scheherazode) Wilson, Carmen Michelle (John) Neely, Julian Christopher Wilson, Kelly Nicole Minter, Myles Sterling Barnes, Christian Daniel Minter, ten great grand-children, and a host of nieces and nephews, family and friends, colleagues and acquaintances. 

Cynthia was a beautiful and amazing woman of strong faith, good character, and loving nature. She was a wealth of knowledge about nearly everything including genealogy, gardening, ballroom dancing, fish frying, and cake baking. She was known for her compassion, love, encouragement, empathy, support, and charity. She was a good wife and mother, sister, friend, employee, supervisor, host, grandmother, and great grandmother. Her great grandchildren are convinced she is a “Kung Fu” master. She will be sorely missed by all that knew and loved her.

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