Ellen G. Burns, born September 25, 1918 in McKenzie, Alabama, passed away on October 16, 2020 at the age of 102. She is preceded in death by her parents, Thad and Era Griffin; husband, Bob Burns; sons, Barry Joe Burns, Michael Keith Burns; brothers, Bobby Jack Griffin and Weldon Griffin. Ellen is survived by her daughter, Rebecca Burns Hamner (Ronald Hamner); granddaughters, Ellen J. Fremion (Brandon), Melissa Hamner Mageroy (Jon), Ashley Anne Thalken (Tyler); greatgrandsons, David Fremion, James Fremion, Peter Fremion, Matias Mageroy; great granddaughters, Hannah Mageroy, Charlotte Ellen Thalken.
Ellen graduated from the University of Alabama in 1939 with a degree in Home Economics. Her lifelong passion for teaching began in her first year after graduation. She taught science and homemaking in high school. She then became a county Home Demonstration Agent, a job in which she taught rural, indigent Alabama residents to can food, sew, and improve health conditions for their families. While in that job, she met her husband of 61 years, Bob Burns. A week after their wedding, Bob left to serve in WW II for four years. In 1946 they moved to Texas with their infant son Barry Joe. Ellen devoted herself to another teaching job: motherhood. She and husband Bob had another son Michael Keith in 1950 who was killed at the age of 19 months in a tragic accident on their dairy farm. Daughter Rebecca Ellen was born a year later in 1953. In 1954 Ellen Burns returned to teaching at Leon Valley Elementary School where she taught 3rd grade for 27 years. She impacted the lives of hundreds of students, many of whom went on to become educators themselves. She never stopped teaching even at home with her own children. Every car trip was an opportunity to quiz her kids on multiplication facts, vocabulary words and spelling using the rules of phonics which she loved. In the summertime she taught her daughter to cook, can vegetables, and sew. Learning with her was never work, it was always fun!
In 1973 tragedy struck Ellen’s and Bob’s lives again when their son Barry was killed in a car accident. For Ellen teaching was grief therapy. She continued to immerse herself in teaching her students and demonstrating courage and faith to her daughter Rebecca.
In 1981 she retired from teaching at Leon Valley to enter a new teaching role: being a grandmother to Ellen, Melissa, and Ashley. For twenty years she was their piano coach. She met them after school every weekday and helped them practice piano. They all became excellent musicians who used their musical abilities at school and church.
Her impact did not end there. When her great grandchildren came along, she demonstrated how to grow old and still bear fruit. Great grandson David was well prepared to respond to an essay prompt: “What would it be like to be 100?” Having closely observed Ellen, he wrote that he would sit and read the Bible and give kisses on the head to his grandkids.
She taught her caregivers and physical therapists how to remain kind, cooperative, and thankful even amid frailty and pain.
On October 19, 2020 she was laid to rest in Sunset Memorial Cemetery next to her beloved husband and sons. Her grave marker bears the inscription she chose: “A Teacher of Children”.
A memorial service for Ellen will be held December 27, 2020 at 4 pm at Oxford Methodist Church.
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