Mills Barbee Obituary, Death – Mills Eugene Barbee, Jr., age 77, a resident of Hernando, Mississippi, died away on April 11, 2023, surrounded by loved ones in the home in which he had been reared and in which he had also raised his children. He had been a resident of Hernando for the most of his life. Mills, who was born on March 30, 1946, spent his childhood in Hernando and was a resident of DeSoto County for the sixth generation.
He attended the University of Mississippi, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science, as well as the Jackson School of Law, which is now known as the Mississippi College School of Law, where he earned a Juris Doctor degree. After finishing his education, Mills worked as a clerk for the Supreme Court of Mississippi before moving back to Hernando to begin his legal career there.
In 1981, he won election to serve as the very first County Court Judge for DeSoto County. In this capacity, he presided over a variety of cases including civil and criminal law, as well as the first proceedings of the County’s Youth Court. With the exception of his first election, he won every election he stood for without facing any opposition. Before taking his retirement, he had the privilege of serving as a judge on the County Court for a total of 26 years. On the other hand, retirement was clearly not in his future.
After his return to private practice, he was appointed by the Chief Justice of the Mississippi Supreme Court to serve as a Senior Status Judge. In this role, he was responsible for presiding over a variety of matters in a number of different jurisdictions all across the state. In February of 2018, the Mills E. Barbee Juvenile Justice Center became the first Juvenile Justice Center to be opened in Desoto County. The center was given its current name in honor of its namesake. Mills was taken aback and it brought him humility.
After having worked for the State continuously for decades, he took his retirement in the year 2020. In 1979, Mills wed Laurie Allen at the First Presbyterian Church in Hernando. the ceremony took place. They were deeply in love with one another and had been married for more than 43 years when they passed away. The most memorable moments of his life were when his daughters Ashleigh and Brittany were born to him. Mills was a compassionate guy who loved passionately, lived modestly, and treated everyone he came in contact with with warmth and acceptance, despite the fact that he was a man of few words.
He was a huge fan of Ole Miss football, ZZ Top, and southern cuisine, particularly black-eyed peas and cornbread. He is left by his wife Laurie; his daughters Brittany Barbee (Taylor Weglicki) and Ashleigh Murdock (Jeremy); his three grandsons Finnley, Hawkins, and Kitch; and a whole host of other loved ones. His parents, Mills, Sr. and Willie Belle Smith, as well as his sister Brenda Ballard (Bill), passed away before he did.