Gleaning Facebook: Burnita Burton

 Burnita Burton was a wonderful woman, my friend (strange to say) and one of my heroes. I still miss her. I count two of her sons as among the closest friends of my lifetime. Few days pass without moment of sadness at the memory of losing Cleve in 2010.

One of the interesting things about reaching, oh, 40 or 50, is realizing that a few of your parents' friends and some of your friends' parents have become peers or even friends themselves. That is true of several from my parents' generation in our church - Jeanne Holt, James Sanders, Mary Craven, Dot and Bobby Storey, Joe Tarpley, Bob Candler, and several others.

One of my high school friends was Connie Love. Connie was my close friend Ron Kennedy's girlfriend our senior year. One night we "rolled" Connie's yard (why would you "roll" your girlfriend's yard, Ron?) and I was terrified her Mama & Daddy would catch us. Years later Connie's "Mama," Jean Love, became one of my closest co-workers and teacher-friends.

But I can think of no member of my parents generation who became a closer friend than Burnita Burton. She was a school board member during my first few years as a Floyd County teacher. She was a leader in my church from my fifteenth year till her death. She was a leader in AARP, the retired Federal employees association (as a spouse of "revenooer" Joe), etc. I jokingly called her my "manager". She'd call and ask me to do a singing program for one of the many groups she was part of, even dropping by our house to pick me up and driving me to the event. She was just a very interesting and dedicated and practical person.

By the way, does anyone still use that form: Mrs. attached to a husband's name? It's been a long time since I've seen it. Sheila has been listed as "Mrs. Terrell Shaw" a couple of times over the last 46 years and it's always been a shock to see it. Why should Sheila bear my name with nothing of her own name a part of it? Weird.

Michael J. Burton is busy writing his auto-biography a chapter at a time each spurred by a photo pulled from some pasteboard box, bureau drawer, or dusty album. What a hoot! I am enjoying every word of it, partly because our lives have touched so frequently since I first caught sight of the big sign he painted that stood on the grounds of Trinity Methodist Church when Daddy became its pastor in February of 1962. Is there a picture of that sign, Mike? So far most of Mike's pictures have elicited stories from my own life!

Here's his post today:

 

Burnita was a mild mannered woman who never held a paying job after she became married, but was full of vim, vigor, and vitality when it came to volunteer activities. She did everything in a Methodist Church that a lay person could do - Methodist women president, lay speaker, conference representative, Board of Trustees and at various times on all the different Church committees from Pastoral Relations to Finance - which meant she was always on the Church Council. Usually when the Church opened it’s doors she was there.

Her other love was the PTA (Parent Teacher Association). She served in every capacity of that organization including being President of several local schools associations; District President and I think North Georgia President. I followed in this strong affiliation with an organization that did what it said. Parents and teachers met once a month to discuss students, the school and how the students could be best benefited educationally. I saw first hand how this worked when my children started going to Cave Spring and I became President. The cooperation and mutual support fostered by the interaction of teachers and parents (and students) was astounding.

When I started teaching Art in Cave Spring K - 12, Pepperell K - 12, Coosa K- 12. Armuchee K-12, ES Brown K -6 and Krannert K - 3 the county graciously awarded me $400.00 to buy art materials for my students. How many students? Cave Spring 500; Coosa 1000; Pepperell 1000; Armuchee 800; ES Brown 200 and Krannert 200. Let’s say approximately 3,000 students every two weeks meant I had a little over $.10 per student per year. (Side note - Bill Amos taught at Model K -12 and Ellen Brazelton taught at Alto Park K -8 and Garden Lakes K -8)

PTA was my salvation. I spoke at every one of the PTAs associated with my schools and raised another $700 - $800 dollars which helped immensely. Unfortunately, I was present when the John Birch Society destroyed the PTA in this area. They would somehow select a nominating committee that would then present officer candidates who when elected would immediately tear up the PTA charter. A travesty that reverberates to this day. They would then establish “booster clubs” who supported athletics and education was an after thought. No real by laws or rules just a bunch of folks raising money. I hope to get on this soap box again.

Against this backdrop, my mother decided to run for the Floyd County school board. She was the first woman to ever be elected to public office in Floyd County and because of her genial personality was loved by most folks and respected by the other Board members. That is not to say it was not a hard fought campaign. She would go to all the mills at shift change - maybe 6:00 AM at Celanese and Pepperell, the mill in Shannon and Kraft and Plant Hammond. She would speak at all kinds of clubs and church groups. A much better campaigner than me. Every where she went there were hecklers who thought women should be barefoot and pregnant and in the kitchen (Some of them Birchers). Well ….they had not reckoned with Joe Burton. He would quietly go over and tap them on the shoulder and ask if they wanted to step outside for a private discussion. Wisely, none of them took advantage of this opportunity. My Mama and Daddy were an awesome team.

In this photo You can see where I did my part painting campaign posters on plywood which we would put on saw horses in the backs of pick up trucks and park around the county. Behind me, you can see my first home - a 10 foot by 52 foot single wide trailer (520 Square feet of living space for a family of 5.) Notice too the lack of vegetation since the place had been strip mined. It was second hand and I think my Daddy and I paid something like $5,000 for it (He Co-signed the note). That trailer was a home full of joy and excitement for the next 12 years. Since I was young, healthy and full of vigor also (like my mother) it just made everything a pleasure and a challenge. Times they were a changing.