Barney Elwood Stephens

Barney Elwood Stephens, 71, of Sour Lake, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, October 27, 2026.

A service of remembrance will be held at 12:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 31, 2026, at Faith & Family Chapel in Batson, Texas. The family will receive friends from 10:30 a.m. until the service begins.

Barney is survived by his family, including his nieces and nephews, and many friends.

A retired insulator and electrician, Barney was a lifelong resident of Sour Lake. He loved his hometown and, if you knew him, you knew he wasn’t much of a traveler. He enjoyed sitting on the front porch, talking with family and friends, sipping tea, and watching nature.

Barney’s humor and generosity were evident from an early age. He could repair almost anything and believed a good meal could solve more problems than people realized. He loved growing a garden each year—a trait he inherited from his mother. If you never got to try his homegrown tomatoes, you missed out.

Barney will always be remembered for his kind, generous heart and for the many ways he made others feel included. His warmth, creativity, curiosity, and willingness to help anyone at any time were just a few of his many wonderful qualities. He had a gift for building relationships wherever he went. He had a brilliant mind and a huge heart. To know Barney was to love him.