Elaine Barnes

Ms. Elaine Williams Barnes, 65, of Oak Park, Michigan born in Greenville, South Carolina, on August 26, 1951, transitioned from her borrowed life here on earth for the everlasting life she knew was destined to come on Friday, January 13, 2017, at Providence Hospital in Southfield, Michigan.

Elaine, nicknamed “COOKIE” by her grandparents, was the daughter of the late Raymond Cook and Gladys Williams Sanders Neal. At an early age, Elaine “Cookie” attended and was a member of the Sunday School at Reedy River Baptist Church in Greenville. In later years, she studied her faith with the Jehovah’s Witnesses and for the past 10 years or more she studied the teachings of Yahweh, God of the ancient Hebrews. She was educated in Greenville County Schools. Elaine "Cookie" attended Nicholtown Elementary School where she became captain of the girls’ basketball team, was a Girl Scout and a member of the Y-Teens. She achieved academic excellence from the first to the fifth grade before ever receiving a “B” on her report card. Elaine “Cookie” had two daughters before graduating without any delays from Joseph E. Beck High School Panthers in 1969. After graduating high school, she moved with her daughters to Pontiac, Michigan, to live with her mother and step-father. She continued to further her education and attended Pontiac Business Institute in Pontiac, Michigan where she studied Accounting and also attended Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. At Wayne State, she was Executive Secretary for the Association of Black Students and held the “first” Miss Black Wayne State Beauty Queen Pageant. “Cookie” attended John Robert Powers Modeling School in Southfield, Michigan, where she learned how to apply make-up and how to dress like a model.

Elaine was a fierce, feisty, fashionable lady much like Taraji P. Henson’s character, Cookie Lyon, from the Lee Daniels hit television series EMPIRE. Elaine “Cookie” had a passion for writing and loved the spotlight. She often talked about and dreamed of meeting Michael Jackson. She wrote a screen play with the scenario about Michael Jackson and his love interest for which she assigned herself the role as his leading lady. She hoped one day the screen play would make it to Hollywood and be on the big screen. Elaine “Cookie” also wrote a book Escape the Things That Are Destined to Come which was successfully published in 2012. In the 80's Elaine "Cookie" moved to Marina Del Rey, California and attended the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. She was frequently on the Dean’s list. She graduated with honors in 1986 obtaining her Bachelors of Science Degree in General Studies. While living in California, she met and married Throughout her life, Elaine “Cookie” worked various jobs. She was a Proof Operator at Community National Bank in Pontiac, Michigan, an assembler with Pontiac Motors and was also a substitute teacher for the Pontiac School District. In 1989, she along with her sons moved from California back to Pontiac, Michigan. In 1990, she moved with her sons from Pontiac to Oak Park, Michigan where she was a substitute for the Oak Park School District. She was dissatisfied with the teachings of the Oak Park School District and began to home-school her sons for seven years until she began having health issues.

Elaine experienced many disabling health conditions and issues during her life such as a brain aneurysm, back surgery and fusion, rheumatoid arthritis and was in a car accident in 2007 which limited her ability to continue to write. After Christmas in 2016, she went to the hospital because she was having chest pains and trouble breathing and had a severe cough. She was diagnosed and being treated for pneumonia. After a few days in the hospital, “Cookie” became scared and had a panic attack which resulted in her going into cardiac arrest. She was on life support for eleven days before the ventilator was removed. She clung to life for another four days before being called home to Heaven. Elaine "Cookie" was a very precise, organized and detailed woman. So precise that ten years ago as she recognized her health was deteriorating she wrote her final wishes from which she says "Now I will close in prayer - May Yahweh the God of the original Black Hebrews keep me, Elaine Barnes, under his wings and bring me back during his Kingdom reign."

She leaves to cherish many fond and loving memories her step-father, Benjamin L. Neal, Sr. of Greenville, SC; two daughters: Clarissa O. Williams of Atlanta, GA and Calandra L. Williams of Charlotte, NC; two sons: Demetris J. Barnes of the home and Guy N. Barnes, Jr. of Oak Park, MI; three grandchildren: Chiquita L. McKelvey of Greenville, SC, Curtis D. "Moot" Williams and Nadia D. Aristil of Atlanta, GA; three great-grandchildren: CaMahri L. McKelvey, Kyren J. Jackson and Chaylen M. McKelvey all of Greenville, SC; a loving sister, Carolyn Williams Perkins of Greenville, SC; three step-brothers: Benjamin L. Neal, Jr. and Phillip Neal both of Greenville, SC and Jonathan (Alfie) Neal of St. Stephens, SC; two nieces: Maureen D. (“Shank”) Perkins-Saxon and Stephanie G. Perkins both of Greenville, SC; one nephew, Cedric E. Perkins of Greenville, SC; three aunts: Mary Alice Hunt and Mamie Lou (James) Louris both of Pontiac, MI and Jennie V. Jenkins of Greenville, SC; one uncle, O.D. (Birdie) Williams of Greenville, SC; five great-nieces; one great-nephew; one great-great-niece; two great-great-nephews and a host of other relatives and friends.