Virginia Foxx: “I rise today in honor of a life well lived. Last week a great American and a good friend of mine Mrs. Frances Barham of…”

“I rise today in honor of a life well lived. Last week a great American and a good friend of mine Mrs. Frances Barham of Mayodan, North Carolina, passed away. My friend Frances was a lifelong North Carolinian, a woman dedicated to her community, her State, and her country. She was renowned for her unflagging attention to community issues both large and small. Her example of service is perhaps best exemplified by her receiving the distinguished North Carolina Long Leaf Pine Award, a high honor bestowed on only the finest of North Carolina citizens. Over the course of her remarkable life, Frances positively influenced countless students in her three-decade-long service in Rockingham County schools. She was an active member of her church for more than 70 years, and was a fixture of community involvement and service. Everywhere Frances invested her time, she made a difference, whether as a Girl Scout leader, as a member of the Mayodan Historical Society, or as a board member of the John Motley Morehead School of the Blind. In 1990, her long record of service was recognized by the people of Mayodan when she was named the town's Citizen of the Year. She was also actively involved in the political process, because she knew that freedom meant exercising her political rights as an American. A reflection of her involvement and commitment to the realm of public service is that she was the first woman to chair the Board of Elections of Rockingham County.”