With heavy hearts and deep gratitude for a beautiful and well-lived life, we celebrate Ida Mae Barrett McMillan who entered Heaven’s gates on July 18, 2025. A godly women full of love, strength, and compassion, she touched countless lives as a wife, Mother, Nana, daughter, sister, aunt, church pianist and friend.
Ida was born in DeKalb, Texas to Luke and Ida Shumake Barrett on April 4, 1935. She was the namesake of her Mother, and the youngest girl of eight children. When she was thirteen years old, her Mother took her to the new Pentecostal church in town and she gave her life to Jesus. From that moment on, she completely and wholeheartedly devoted her life to being a dedicated follower of Christ. After her conversion to Christianity, she developed a strong desire to play the piano. Even though she never had the opportunity to receive formal training, she became an accomplished pianist, and played, by ear, in churches for almost her entire adult life.
After graduating high school, she moved to Dallas to find employment. Seventy years ago, on June 18, 1955, she married her soulmate and faithful companion, Floyd Edwin McMillan and together, they had and raised two children, Gregory Floyd McMillan and Tina Wheeler. In 1987, after thirty-four years in Mesquite, she and Floyd moved back to their hometown where Floyd then went to work for Red River before retirement.
From the moment Ida had her first child, she devoted herself wholeheartedly to her family and motherhood, pouring all of her love, energy, and time into raising her children. She embraced the role of motherhood with unmatched dedication, always striving to give them the very best of herself each and every day. She never missed a single event always in the stands, or in a lawn chair, rooting them on as their biggest and most loyal cheerleader.
Ida was a skilled keypunch operator in the insurance industry. In the early 70’s, she refused to work in the summers because she preferred to be a present Mother and to be home when her children were out of school. Her employer, in an effort to retain her because of her high work ethic, placed a keypunch machine in her master bedroom so that she could work from home. Tina kidded her Mom and said, “Mama, you were the first ever remote worker…way before COVID.
Ida was an avid traveler. Over the years, she enjoyed motorhome travel to many states in the U.S., but primarily enjoyed going to Branson, Missouri and Florida, which was done with her husband, her beloved sister and brother-in-law Vynetta and Franklin Flanery. Boy did they have trips and all the fun! She also traveled on church ski trips and learned to snow ski and LOVED it! Hesitantly, in 2005, she traveled on her first cruise to celebrate her and Floyd’s 50th anniversary. She was nervous because she could not swim. But, she ended up falling in love with cruising and took almost fifteen cruises these last twenty years to Alaska, Canada, Boston, Maine, and The Bahamas.
Ida was preceded in death by her parents, her beloved son, Gregory Floyd McMillan, brothers and sisters-in-law, L.B. and Iva Jean Barrett, Morris Barrett, Benny Bob Barrett, Otis and Ruby Barrett, Odis “Shorty” and Mardell Barrett, Pete Barrett, Charles Barrett, sisters and brothers-in-law, Vynetta and Franklin Flanery, Ethel Boyd and Elmer Dee Flanery, Eva and James Downs, Ola Maude and Harold Reece, Myrtle and Ed Clark, sister- in-law Sherry Barrett, brother-in-law and sister-in-law Dean and Sandra McMillan, two nieces, Paula Henson and Kerri Dell Barrett and one nephew, Kyle McMillan. She is survived by her husband of seventy years, Floyd McMillan, one daughter and son-inlaw Tina and Keith Wheeler, grandchildren and spouses, Matthew Gregory and Brittany Wheeler and Sarah Elisabeth and Jake Thompson, one great-grandchild soon to be born at Christmas, baby brother, Dale Barrett, sister-in-law Norma Barrett and many wonderful nieces and nephews. We would like to recognize some of the nieces and nephews as they were incredibly helpful to assist Mama these last months. Terri Giles, Jan Flanery, Charlotte Powell, Ronda Bowers, Pam Hensley, Brandt Barrett and Robbie Barrett. They all dropped what they were doing on a moment’s notice if Mama needed them. Ida is also survived by her adopted sister, A.J. Richards. Lastly, and possibly most importantly, she is survived by the love of her life these last years and probably her favorite “person”, her precious dog, Pebbles. Special appreciation to her caregiver these recent months, Marcia Young who enabled Mama to stay and enjoy her last months at home. Also from her family, special appreciation to Kay Smith, Gail Davis and Joy Murphy, Mama’s very special friends, and personal Door-Dashers. They provided many meals and desserts to bless Mama during this last year or two. What a ministry they offer to this town and our family is indebted to them for their kindness.
Services will be 11:00 AM Tuesday, July 22, 2025 at Bates Family Funeral Home in De Kalb, Texas with her grandson, Matthew Wheeler officiating. Interment will follow at Woodmen Cemetery in De Kalb, Texas.
Visitation will be held from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM Tuesday, July 22, 2025 at Bates Family Funeral Home in De Kalb, Texas.
Memorials may be made to Teen Life Challenge,1401 Meadow St., Desoto, Texas 75115.
