Barbara Jean Whittemore Buckner

WEAVERVILLE – Barbara Jean Buckner, age 90, of Weaverville, passed away on Saturday, November 18, 2023.  Mrs. Buckner was born on July 14, 1933, in Buncombe County where she lived all her life. 

Barbara was the daughter of the late Ollie Mae Metcalf Whittemore and Robert Franklin Whittemore.  In addition to her mother and father, she was predeceased by her husband, Elmer Buckner to whom she was married 56 years; her son-in-law, Earl Wilburn; sisters, Ada Mae Jenkins, Velva Mundy and Ruth Sheehan; and brothers Wilbur, Paul, Ralph, Mack, Carrol and Woodson Whittemore.

She is survived by son, Gerald Buckner (Juanita), daughter, Dianne Black; grandchildren, Cindy, Stephen (Kacey), Jonathan (Jennifer), Jeremiah (Natasha), and called herself Granny to Harry and Sandra Wooten; thirteen great grandchildren and one great great grandchild, and several nieces and nephews. 

Barbara was a gardener, harvester, forager and had rather been outdoors than in.  She deeply loved family, neighbors, and friends.  She liked cooking and enjoyed seeing folks eat at her table.  She set a fine example of a devout Christian lady and taught Sunday School for many years at Brown’s Chapel Baptist Church.

She was forever grateful for the thoughts of others, those who helped her, who were called upon and would come to the rescue and did special things to make her life easier, and for those who would come to visit or stop by and “set a spell”.

The family will receive friends from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, November 21, 2023, at West Funeral Home, 17 Merrimon Avenue, Weaverville.  Her funeral service will be held at 2:00 p.m. in the chapel of West Funeral Home with nephew Delain Whittemore, grandson’s Jonathan Buckner and Jeremiah Black officiating. Burial will follow at West Memorial Park. Serving as pallbearers will be Danny Allen, Jeff Buckner, Gary Carnegie, Mike Stewart, Bobby McDaris and Lyndon Worley.

Barbara will be missed by all.

West Family Funeral Services is honored to be serving the Buckner family.  For those who desire, condolences may be offered to the family under Mrs. Buckner’s obituary at www.WestFamilyFuneralServices.com.