‘Miss Dean’ celebrates with 4 generations on birthday at 101 years old

Waudine “Miss Dean” Spears Barrett has been an inspiration during her 101 years, an expert seamstress, a wonderful cook, gardener, babysitter, artist, hostess, and so much more.  

Born Nov. 9, 1922, she shared her birthday with her mother, Annie. 

Miss Dean, as she is affectionately known, has left an indelible mark on the lives of those she’s touched.

“I just live one day at a time,” she said. “I do the best I can and try to live right and treat people the way I like to be treated.”

Her Spears family included three brothers, Odell, Clea, and Argle, and three sisters, Nancy, Bonnie Jean, and Christine. They all were raised on a farm in Neshoba County.

Miss Dean has witnessed five generations of her family in three different ways. She was married to Bobbie “Buntyn” Barrett until his death in 1983, and together they had two daughters, Frances Barrett Sciple and Jennie Barrett.

The family tree branched further as Frances had two daughters, Laura Fulton Creekmore and Marcy Fulton Wright. Laura had children, Cory Byars, Ari Creekmore, DJ Creekmore, and Caleb Creekmore. Marcy's children are Ethan Wilkerson, Alyssa Wilkerson Craig, and her stepson was Jayson Roberts.

Dean's legacy also includes three cherished great-great-granddaughters, Isabelle Byars, Madelyn Wilkinson, and Ainsleigh Craig. 

Despite some moments of sorrow, with the loss of DJ, Jayson, and her much-loved grandson-in-law Allan Roberts, her family’s bond has remained strong.

The love story between Miss Dean and her future husband began when they first laid eyes on each other at a dance. Bobbie strummed his guitar on stage, and their romance blossomed from there. He summoned the courage to ask her for a date on Mr. Dewey Burton’s bus that would carry country folks to town every Saturday.

Their Saturdays were filled with trips to the movies, a tradition that overlapped with the outbreak of World War II. Bobbie was drafted and went through basic training, after which he was stationed at Fort Sill, Okla. 

During his first furlough home, they married, and she accompanied him back to Oklahoma. He was soon deployed to the Philippines, leaving her to wait for his return.

Two years later, the war ended, and they relocated to Canton, where he pursued carpentry school on the GI Bill. Their first daughter was born there, and later, they acquired her grandfather’s land here, where she still lives today.

In 1952, they built their home, and their second daughter arrived in 1954. A few years later, they ventured into running a small country store in the Bloomo community, which they managed for several years. Bobbie later became a city mail carrier in Philadelphia, a role he held until his death.

“Every day was a good day with him,” she said. “He loved to talk. He had a hammock out here in the backyard, and a lot of nights we’d go out there to look up at the stars and talk. He talked and I listened. He was the most entertaining person I ever saw in my life. Everybody liked Bobbie Barrett.”

Miss Dean has played numerous roles during her lifetime. In her earlier years, she cared for her granddaughters, especially when they were sick. Her granddaughter Marcy fondly remembers her making toast cut into little triangles and serving chocolate milk.

Before her husband's death, she ran a business from her home, crafting ceramics. She later became part-owner of a convenience store and deli in DeKalb, where she gained local fame for her biscuits, cakes, and pies. She also enjoyed looking after her great-grandchildren while their mothers worked, keeping her busy and engaged.

Her green thumb is legendary, and she still loves tending to her beautiful flowers. She could “root a broom handle,” a friend once said.

“I might do without a drink of water, but them flowers have to have water,” she said with a laugh. “I got some pretty red roses and several kinds of flowers on the front porch in hanging baskets and ferns.” 

One of her most cherished memories goes back to the early days of television when they got the first set in their community. Neighbors gathered at her home every night to watch TV, and their living room was always filled with friends having a great time.

“It was like a little theater around here,” she said. “It was a musical house.”

Another warm memory was the Saturday nights when her husband's friends gathered at their home to make music. They had a little country band that played at benefits and just for fun. She also enjoyed attending CB Coffee Breaks and accompanying her husband wherever the band played. Even a young Marty Stuart joined in on these musical gatherings, displaying his early talent, her family said.

Last year, the family organized a big celebration for her 100th birthday, but this year, she wanted a quieter celebration, perhaps dining out somewhere. Her family hopes to share many more birthdays with Miss Dean, who is cherished deeply and has always been their go-to person whenever they needed her the most.