Employees at Johnson Greenhouses in Statesville are putting arrangements together for Master Sergeant Leslie Barnes’ memorial service Thursday. (Source: Amanda Foster) STATESVILLE, N.C. (WBTV) – It is not often Nicholson Funeral Home receives someone with no family and no one to call. But that was the case for Leslie Barnes. “She had prepaid for the cremation,” Funeral Director Alana Henderson says. “So, we had that process done, but there were going to be no services.” Barnes died at 60 years old while in an assisted living facility. She had previously coordinated plans for her death that the funeral home describes as the “bare minimum.” Then, they recently found out she was actually Master Sergeant Leslie Barnes, with 26 years of her life dedicated to the military. “We were sad,” Nicholson Funeral Home President Bill Brater said. “We think that she gave everything. She gave up a family, never had a husband, children, anything. Gave it all to the Air Force.” “It did kind of tug at my heartstrings a little bit,” Henderson added. “That she did just have no one in her life to come and celebrate what she had given.” So, they are stepping in. LOADING… Community volunteers like the florist, a bagpiper, and the Patriot Guard Riders are putting their time and effort into the making of this memorial. “It’s what we are here to do,” Matthews said. “It’s what we were put on this earth to do and it’s our purpose to do that.” None of them knew Barnes, and none of them will even see a photo of the woman they are honoring because no one has one to share. But they want to show respect to the life and legacy the veteran leaves behind. The service will be at Nicholson Funeral Home on East […]