Barbara Ethelyn Tillery

Our beloved mother and grandmother, Barbara Ethelyn Burks Tillery (Ethelyn ), fell asleep on this earth and opened her eyes in heaven, Sunday, April 26, 2020. Visitation will be at Lloyd James Funeral Home Wednesday, April 29, 2020 from 1pm to 5pm and graveside services will be at Bullard City Cemetery Thursday, April 30, 2020, at 11am. (COVID-19 restrictions will be in place.) Ethelyn was born August 1,1920, to Cash Burks and Kate Engledow Burks in Bullard, Texas. She was the youngest of nine children. She married Alvin Lee (Bill) Tillery in 1940, and they began their life together in Jacksonville, Texas. Shortly after their marriage, Bill, went overseas serving our country in World War II. They had two daughters, Donna Tillery Guenther and Celia Tillery Waddle. They moved to Tyler, Texas, in 1958. She and Bill were members of Trinity Baptist Church in Tyler. In 1966, she accepted her niece, Sybil Mauldin Haak, into our family as a daughter to her and Bill and a sister to Donna and Celia. Ethelyn was a devout Christian and was faithful to the end. Everyone who knew her, or came in contact with her, heard about the hope she had in Jesus Christ. Even after brain surgery when she was 93 years old and was unable to walk or speak, her love for Jesus shined through. She knew that her mission was to serve as a missionary at the health facility where she resided.

Ethelyn was a homemaker and stay-at-home-mom. She was very active in her church as a leader in women’s organizations and a Sunday School teacher. After raising her three daughters, she became active serving the elderly in the church and the community. She was an activity director at a health facility, volunteered for Meals-on-Wheels and a local food bank. She served for many years as organizer and president of the Joy Club, an organization for senior citizens at Trinity. She was also proud to be a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution.

Ethelyn was preceded in death by her parents, her eight brothers and sisters, her husband, her daughter, Donna Tillery Guenther, and a grandson, Stephen Guenther. She is survived by her daughters, Sybil Mauldin Haak and husband, Earnest, of Tyler, Texas, and Sybil’s two daughters, Michele Vick and Katrina LaCaze.

She is also survived by grandchildren, Russell Guenther and wife, Kim, and their children, Deitra Guenther Livingston, of Dallas, Texas, and Scott Guenther and wife, Mary Anna, of Tomball, Texas.

Also, she is survived by daughter, Celia Tillery Waddle, and husband Randall, of Boulder, Colorado and their five children, Jason Waddle, Justin Waddle, Jeremy Waddle, Katie Daniels, and Sara Daniels.

She also departed this world with many loving great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and friends.

“Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Give her the reward she has earned and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.” Proverbs 31:31