Sarah Kathleen Birdsong

Sarah Kathleen Barbour Birdsong, 71, of Smithfield, North Carolina, passed away peacefully on January 19, 2026. Born on May 17, 1954, in Smithfield, she grew up with a deep connection to her community, her heritage, and the land that shaped generations of her family.

The family will receive visitors at Parrish Funeral Home on Wednesday January 28, 2026 from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM. A memorial mass will be held at St. Ann Catholic Church located in Clayton on Friday January 30, 2026 at 9 :00 AM, with a private interment of her remains at the farm to follow.

Sarah is survived by her sisters, Jessie Barbour, Regina Barbour, and Mary (Frankie) Davis; her brother, Robert Glenn Barbour Jr.; her daughter, Samantha Birdsong Manning and husband Mark of Smithfield; her son, Clifton Glenn Birdsong and wife Stacy of Oregon City, Oregon. She also leaves behind four cherished grandchildren — Breanna (Adam), Taylor (Joe), Kristina, and Glenn; five nieces — and one beloved great‑granddaughter who brought her immense joy.

A woman of quiet strength and steady hands, Sarah found happiness in simple, meaningful work. She loved tending her garden, coaxing beauty from the soil season after season, and restoring old furniture, giving new life to pieces with stories of their own. She also delighted in making jams, jellies, and preserves from local farm products, sharing the fruits of her labor generously with family and friends.

Sarah was the fifth‑generation keeper of the old homeplace and family history at the Watson Sanders Farm on Brogden Road in Smithfield. She carried that responsibility with pride, preserving not only the land but the memories, traditions, and stories that defined her family’s legacy.

Her presence will be deeply missed, but her roots run wide — in her family, in the homeplace she protected, and in the countless moments of care and creativity she shared throughout her life.

Online condolences may be expressed to the family at Parrishfh.com