Staff Report
A one-mile stretch of Highway 53, which runs past the home of well-known community member and former county commissioner Jerry Barnes, who passed away in August of 2022, has been named in his honor. An official sign was unveiled Saturday.
The state legislature approved a resolution honoring Barnes. It read:
WHEREAS, Mr. Jerry Barnes was a lifelong resident of the Hinton community in Pickens County, Georgia, and graduated from Pickens High School, where he served as president of the Future Farmers of America. Mr. Barnes dedicated his life to uplifting others and supporting his neighbors and community.
The resolution goes on to say Barnes was an advocate for the youth of Pickens County, volunteering countless hours of his time to educate aspiring farmers to care for and show lambs, calves, and pigs; a founding member of the Hinton Volunteer Fire Department and a charter member of Pickens Future Farmers of America Alumni, founder of the Appalachian Cattleman’s Association, and supported numerous organizations such as Pickens 4-H, Leadership Pickens, USDA Farm Services Agency, and Coosawattee Regional Water and Sewage Authority.
After retiring as a Georgia Farm Bureau agent, Mr. Barnes continued to serve as the voice of the western part of the county as Pickens County Commissioner.
The resolution goes on to state that Mr. Barnes was a devoted husband to his wife Marsha, a proud father of Brian and Shelia, and a doting grandfather; and a man of deep and abiding faith, Mr. Barnes was an active member of Hinton United Methodist Church, where he served as church chairperson and choir director.
