Betty Jean Burns
Betty Jean Burns, 87, of Eolia died Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2019 at SSM Hospital in St.Charles.
Memorial services were at noon Friday at Eolia Baptist Church. Officiating was Pastor Lyndel Thompson. Private inurnment was in Greenwood Cemetery in Clarksville.
Visitation was from 10 a.m.-noon on Friday at the Eolia Baptist Church in Eolia.
She was the oldest child born to Theodore and Mildred Wright Graue in Eolia. She and her sister, Irene, at-tended school in Eolia where Betty Jean graduated from high school. In 1950, at the age of 18, she married her sweetheart, Virgil “Pete” L. Sanderson, who was in the military.
The couple moved to California where he was stationed. After serving his country, the couple moved back to Eolia. They were blessed with two daughters, Debby and Con-nie.
Throughout the years, Betty Jean worked at several businesses, including Kamp Togs, Bobbie Brooks, MFA, Magee Fur and Root Co., and Annada Elevator. She also enjoyed knitting Christmas stockings for al-most everyone she knew. She later married Mackey Burns in 1981.
After Mackey’s retirement, you would always see the couple together. Betty Jean had been a member of Eastern Star, Aeiolan Club in Eolia, member of the Eolia Baptist Church and member of Eolia Book Club. Singing was her passion and in year’s past, she belonged to a quintet which sang at many community functions. Even to the last, Betty Jean was thinking of others and was an organ donor. She will be greatly missed and long remembered by her family and friends.
Surviving are two daughters, Debby Woodward of Clarksville, and Connie Maher and husband, Russell of Silex; step-children, Dr. Douglas Burns and wife, Mary Leigh and Beverly Day and grand-children, Brent Maher and wife, Jill, Jeffrey Maher, Kelsi Voss and husband, Nathan, Sheri Gaunt and husband, Timothy; step-grandchildren, Jeffery Burns, Jessica Burns, Sarah Day, Spencer Day; and great-grand-children, Alexa, Kylie, Emma, Luke, Kingston, Dawsyn and step-great-grandchild, Jonah.
Betty Jean was preceded in death by her husbands, Mackey Burns and Virgil “Pete” L. Sanderson; a grand-son, Kevin Maher, one sister, Irene Griffith and a son-in-law, Jerry Woodward.
Memorials may be made to: Friedereich’s Ataxia Research Alliance, Eolia Baptist Church, Clop-ton Alumni Assoc. or Greenwood Cemetery.
Family and friends are invited to sign our on-line guest registry at: www.mccoyblossomfh.com.
