May 19, 1928 – Dec. 13, 2011

BRANDON — Barbara Stewart Swenson Fields, 83, of Brandon, passed peacefully into the loving arms of her Lord Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2011, at her home, with her loving son, David, by her side.

Services will be at 10 a.m. Friday at Crossgates United Methodist Church in Brandon.

Burial will follow at 2 p.m. at the Natchez City Cemetery under the direction of Ott and Lee Funeral Home in Brandon.

Visitation will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home.

Barbara, affectionately known as “Bobbie” to her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, was born May 19, 1928, in Evansville, the daughter of Charles Allen Stewart and Virgie Cox Stewart. She went through the Jackson public school system, graduating from Central High School in 1946. Barbara attended Belhaven College and worked for the State of Mississippi for more than three decades. She married Billy J. Fields in 1978 and lived in Natchez for a number of years. She was a longtime member of the Crossgates United Methodist Church and the Friendship Sunday School Class.

She was preceded in death by her beloved father in 1949; her mother in 1990; and her husband, Bill, in 2009.

Survivors include her only child, her beloved son, Charles David Swenson and his wife, Melinda McManus Swenson, and their six children, Charles David Swenson Jr. and wife, Sarah, Walter Stewart Swenson and wife, Daniela, Kathryn Elizabeth Swenson, Matthew Alexander Swenson, Kendall Morgan Swenson and Zakary Randle Swenson; three great-grandchildren, Gabriel David Swenson, Abigail Ruby Swenson and Mia Guillen, all of Alexandria, Va.; two brothers, Charles Allen Stewart Jr. and wife, Rosalyn, of San Antonio, Texas and Mack Cox Stewart and wife, Diana, of Grand Prairie, Texas; and Bill’s daughters, Francine Gray and Amy Tharpe and their three children.

Pallbearers will be Bobbie’s four grandsons, Dave, Walt, Alex and Zak Swenson.

Honorary pallbearers will be Greg Duncan, Marty Herndon, Joel Mason, Bill Oakley, Tom Pace, Freddie Puckett, Gene Robbins, Greg Shelton, Dale Tennyson, Larry Wertz and members of the Friends Sunday School Class.

Memorials may be made to Hospice Ministries, Inc., of Ridgeland or the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization. The family would like to thank Dr. Bobby Graham, Dottie Couch, Debbie Woods, Cheryl Williams, Kim Ware and Hospice Ministries for their loving care of Barbara during her final days.

Our precious Barbara (Bobbie) lived a full and joyous life, walking each day with her Lord Jesus Christ. Barbara lived with the reassuring peace of knowing that nothing “shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:39.

Bobbie’s sweet, kind and compassionate approach to life was an inspiration to all who knew and loved this dignified lady, and her well-known love for everything pink came to symbolize Bobbie’s gentle and loving nature.

Online condolences may be sent to www.ottandleefuneralhome.com.