Obituaries:  Judge Jack E. Burgess, Sabine, DeSoto Parish       B-622
Source:  Sabine Index, Many, La., Aug 8, 1990
Submitted by: Carl Dilbeck
              carlrad@earthlink.net


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Judge Jack E. Burgess

  Funeral services for Judge Jack E. Burgess, 73, were held
Friday, August 3, at 10 a.m., at the Hewitt Memorial Presbyterian
Church in Mansfield. Judge Burgess died Wednesday, August 1, at
DeSoto General Hospital.

  Judge Burgess was the son of Lettie H. Burgess, and the late
Judge Hal A. Burgess; daughter, Sue B. Donalson and her husband
Thomas V. Donalson of Houston, and Eva B. Calvin of Monroe; son,
Robert E. Burgess and his wife Lynn A. Burgess of Mansfield;
grandchildren, Jeni Colvin, Emily Colvin, Patrick Donalson,
Michael Donalson, Claire Burgess, and Rhys Burgess; a host of
nieces and nephews; and his brother, Jesse Graham Burgess of
Mansfield.

  Judge Burgess was born in Mansfield on September 6, 1916. He
graduated from Mansfield High School, Louisiana Normal College,
and the Louisiana State University School of Law. At the end of
his second year of law school, he was inducted into the army as a
private, and rose to the rank of captain, after five years of war
time service. During his service in the military, he served 27
months overseas, and also worked as defense counsel, and trial
judge advocate for general court martial trials.

  After his military service, he returned to marry Dorothy E.
Huffman, and complete his law degree. He returned to practice law
in Mansfield, and was appointed assistant district attorney for
the 11th Judicial District. He was elected district judge in
1965, and appointed to serve out the unexpired term of Judge
Ponder, who had stepped down in early retirement. Judge Burgess
served as district judge, and judge ad hoc in the Second Circuit
Court of Appeals, even beyond his retirement in 1978.

  In one of his last civil cases, Burgess ruled that leases for
oil, gas, and other minerals didn't extend to lignite. It
resulted in separate leases being required for lignite strip
mining.

  A colleague recalled him as firm, fair, and well respected.

  "He had a pleasant, congenial nature, and was easy to work
with", said DeSoto-Sabine Judge John Pickett, 70. "But he didn't
tolerate foolishness in his courtroom, or coddle criminals. He
was very firm, and believed in law enforcement."

  Pallbearers will be Robert E. Plummer, David B. Means III, Jeff
L. Heard, Ken E. Crocker, Harmon T. Burgess Jr., David K. Huffman
Jr., Marvin G. Melton, and C. Alfred Flander. Honorary
pallbearers are the Board of Directors of DeSoto Federal Savings
and Loan association, and the Session, and members of Hewitt
Memorial Presbyterian Church.

  Services will be under the direction of Rose-Neath's Mansfield
Chapel, with the Rev. David Laverty, George Harbuck. And McNair
Smith officiating. Memorials may be made to Hewitt Memorial
Presbyterian Church.