Today marks two long years since the passing of our beloved mother, grandmother, teacher, and matriarch, Mrs. Adelaide Adwoa Okorewa Barnes. As I reflect on her life, I am reminded of the extraordinary legacy she left behind through education, service, and an unwavering commitment to nurturing others.
Born on 19 December 1932 in Adeiso in Ghana’s Eastern Region, she was the cherished daughter of the late Rev. Peter William Anaman and Mrs. Hagar Ellen Anaman. She was the first of seven children, and from the very beginning her life reflected responsibility, compassion, and strength.
She began her education at Akyem Asafo, where her father served as a teacher and catechist. Education was not simply a path for her; it became her calling. After completing middle school at just sixteen, she went on to Aburi Presbyterian Teachers’ Training College, where she obtained her Teachers’ Certificate A in 1953.
That same year brought both achievement and loss. Shortly after completing her training, her father passed away. As the eldest sibling and the only one already grown, she stepped into a role far beyond her years, helping to support her mother and becoming a second mother to her younger brothers and sisters.
Her dedication to education soon became clear. She began teaching at Kwanyako Presbyterian Primary School, where she served with passion and commitment. Teaching was not simply a profession to her; it was a calling. She cared deeply about her pupils and their future, often encouraging parents to keep their children in school and even welcoming some pupils into her home so they could continue their education.
In 1955, she married Mr. David A. Barnes, an Assistant Education Officer based in Winneba. Their marriage was one of partnership and shared purpose, especially in the field of education. Together they built a family while serving communities across Ghana and beyond.
Their children, Seth, Ernest, Mary, Betty, and Patience, were the pride of her life. Through their work and achievements, her influence continues to be felt. Among them is my own mother, Mary Barnes, who later became the Paramount Queen Mother of the Gomoa Akyempim Traditional Area, a role that reflects the leadership and values instilled by her mother.
To many in the community, she was widely known simply as Mrs. Barnes. Parents would come from near and far asking for Mrs. Barnes, trusting her not only as a teacher but as someone who would guide, nurture, and shape the lives of their children. In the classroom, she was affectionately known as Teacher Adelaide, while within her own family her children lovingly called her Mrs. D, short for Mrs. David.
But Mrs. Barnes’ motherhood extended far beyond her biological children. At any given time, there were no fewer than twenty children living in her home, many of whom she had taken in and raised as her own.
Her reputation for compassion and commitment to education spread widely across neighbouring communities. There were times when mothers from surrounding villages would travel to her town without ever having met her, simply asking people along the way, “Where can we find Mrs. Barnes?”
When they arrived at her home, they would share their struggles and explain that they were unable to care for their children. Many of them, especially mothers of young girls, had heard about Mrs. Barnes, the teacher who believed deeply that every child deserved an education. With hope and trust, they entrusted their daughters to her care so that they might grow, learn, and have opportunities they themselves had never had.
And so her home became more than a household. It became a refuge, a place of learning, and a place of hope.
Many of those children, though not listed among her biological family, went on to become successful and respected individuals in Ghana and abroad, a living testament to the generosity, discipline, and unwavering belief she had in the potential of every child.
Many of them still speak of her today simply as Mother, remembering the woman who opened her home, shared what she had, and changed the course of their lives through love, discipline, and education.
Because of her husband’s work, the family lived in several places, including a period in Tanzania, where he served as an expatriate educational consultant. Yet wherever life took her, Mrs. Barnes remained devoted to education.
After serving in different towns, cities, and countries during her years in education, she eventually retired from the Presbyterian School in Kwanyako. Yet even after reaching the mandatory retirement age, her commitment to education did not end. Because of a shortage of teaching staff, she continued to teach voluntarily for another ten years, serving the same school and community she loved.
During those years, she often used her own pension to purchase teaching materials, exercise books, and textbooks to support the students. It was common to see her on a Monday morning arriving at school with a basket filled with biscuits, fruits, and other food items, many of which she had received from visiting family over the weekend. She would take these to school to share with the children, especially those who had come to class without breakfast because of hardships at home.
Her children and siblings would sometimes lovingly remind her to take better care of herself, because she often gave away so much that she kept very little for herself, sharing not only with her pupils but also with families in the wider community who were in need.
But beyond her achievements as a teacher, Mrs. Barnes was known for something even more profound: her character.
She was a strict disciplinarian, but beneath that firmness was a deeply gentle soul. She believed in correcting wrongs, guiding others towards what was right, and ensuring that those under her care lived responsibly. At the same time, she had a remarkable ability to bring peace where there was conflict. Even when she herself was affected, she always chose understanding and reconciliation.
Her siblings, children, grandchildren, and all who came under her influence remember her not only for her discipline, but also for her kindness, fairness, wisdom, and unwavering care.
When she passed at the age of 91, she left behind not just memories, but a legacy built on education, faith, family, and service to others.
Today, as we remember her passing two years on, we give thanks for a life well lived, a life of compassion, dedication, and quiet strength. Though she is no longer with us in person, the values she instilled, the love she shared, and the lives she touched remain part of her enduring legacy. We realise that the measure of a life is not only in years lived, but in lives touched, and by that measure Adelaide Adwoa Okorewa Barnes lived a truly remarkable life.
Her lessons continue in the lives she shaped.
Her values continue in the family she nurtured.
And her spirit continues in the love we still share.
As a proud grandchild of Mrs. Barnes, and the child of Mary Barnes, the Paramount Queen Mother of the Gomoa Akyempim Traditional Area, I am deeply aware that I am part of the living legacy she built, a legacy of compassion, dignity, leadership, and service that continues through generations.
In our tradition, a person is truly remembered not by what they kept for themselves, but by what they gave to others. By that measure, our beloved Teacher Adelaide gave abundantly: her time, her wisdom, her home, and her love.
May we honour her memory not only with our words today, but with the way we live, holding fast to the principles she taught us: discipline, kindness, service, and faith.
As it is written in Proverbs 31:28–29:
“Her children arise and call her blessed; …
many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.”
Today we rise with gratitude and call Mrs. Adelaide Adwoa Okorewa Barnes, our beloved Teacher Adelaide, blessed.
May her gentle soul continue to rest in perfect peace.
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