Gladys Virginia Burton

27. Apr, 2011 0 Comments

Gladys Virginia Burton, 95, of Moody and Waco, died Friday, April 15, 2011, after a long and rewarding life. She was deeply grateful for her family and lifelong friends. A celebration of her life was at 10 a.m. Tuesday, April 19, at First Baptist Church of Moody with Dr. Tom Shelton officiating. Interment was followed at Moody Cemetery under the direction of Cole Funeral Home, McGregor.

Gladys was born in McGregor, Oct. 10, 1915, the third of six children of Walter Blair and Myrtle Amanda (Eakin) Garrett. She attended the rural Willow Grove school for 10 years graduating from Moody High School in 1933. She grew up as a hard-working farm girl who picked cotton to survive the depression years. In 1936, she married Clarence Miller Burton with whom she shared 35 years of marriage before his death in 1971.

She devoted her life to her family, church, vocation, friends and community. She was a committed Christian and lifelong active member of First Baptist Church of Moody. As a civic leader she served on the Moody Cotton Harvest Festival board, Moody Cemetery Association board, was active in Meals on Wheels for 10 years, a member of the Order of the Eastern Star and Friends of the Moody Library Association. She was a lifelong Democrat, always interested in politics and worked years in local elections. She loved having garage sales and was a football fanatic, loving college and professional teams. She loved a good “42″ domino game and was a master player. In her later years, she loved quilting and gave many of her quilts to family members. Her real passion was traveling. Any time Rita or Linda went anywhere, Gladys was included whether it was camping or visiting historic places. She was fortunate to go with groups to Hawaii, Europe, the Caribbean, the New England area and Canada and made friends wherever she went.

She worked many years in Moody as a grocery clerk for Patterson’s, Wharton’s, and Herrington’s grocery stores. She then worked 20 years as a nurse technician in the E.N.T. clinic at Scott and White in Temple. She dearly loved her job and the people with whom she worked. She retired in 1984.

All her life she was a caregiver seeing after her mother-in-law, Ermine Amanda (Strange) Burton from the time Ermine was widowed in 1939 until she died in 1973. She cared for her infirmed husband, Clarence for 8 years until his death. She gave loving care to Linda, her youngest daughter for over six months until her death in 1994. Though she grieved all the rest of her life, she never complained and enjoyed the simple pleasures of life. She remained close to the Burton and Strange families and during much of this time, she enjoyed meeting and eating monthly with the “Strange” cousins.

Gladys was predeceased by her parents; her husband; her dear sweet Linda Beth Walter; three sisters, Neva Pauline McBride, Hazel May Welch and Alice Irene Strader; and one brother, Walter Ray Garrett.

She is survived by her daughter, Rita Kay Ross; son-in-law, David; three granddaughters who affectionately called her “Gaga”, Robin Leigh Ross of Georgetown, Stacy Amanda Maisel and husband, Gary, of Georgetown and Lea Whitney Rozell and husband, Darren, of Forney. She was extremely proud of two great-granddaughters, Amanda Nicole Maisel and Hannah Grace Maisel of Georgetown. She is survived by a brother, James Garrett, of Dallas; and son-in-law, Tommy Walter (DiAnn, Drew, and Megan) of Purdon; several nieces and nephews; and other relatives.

She was able to live by herself in Moody until age 93. Since then she has resided at St. Catherine Center, Waco. We are deeply grateful to all employees and to Providence Hospice for caring and concern, most especially Sheila Woods.

For those desiring, the family suggests First Baptist Church, P. O. Box 366 Moody, TX 76557 or Moody Community Library, P. O. Box 57 Moody, TX 76557 for memorial contributions.

Cole Chapel, 254-853-2311, Moody

October 10, 1915 – April 15, 2011