Obit of Burns, John W. - Delaware County, Oklahoma Submitted by: Gene Phillips 31 Jul 2005 Return to Delaware County Archives: http://www.usgwarchives.net/ok/delaware/delaware.html ========================================================================== USGENWEB NOTICE Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm ========================================================================== The Grove (OK) Sun JOHN W. BURNS John W. Burns, 81, passed away Tuesday , December 9, 2003 at his home in Eucha, following an extended illness. "Johnny" was born February 15, 1922 to John H. and Jessie Burns in Rogers, Ark. The family moved to Oklahoma in 1923, residing in Delaware County near Grand River. John grew up with three sisters, Jane Brooks, Lavern and Myra McClain, three brothers, Ed, Gene, and Henry McClain. He remembered those as happy years, farming with his brothers and father, fishing with his father in Grand River and many exciting and fun adventures with his siblings and friends. He stayed on the farm helping and caring for his mother and father until their deaths. Johnny was a hard worker during his working years, capable and dependable. He worked briefly for the steel mills in Illinois, worked for the railroad removing track throughout eastern Oklahoma and Kansas, he was an inspector on the Will Rogers Turnpike in addition to his work at home, farming, and raising a "few cattle" as he put it. In 1958 he married Mary Chaffin of the Verdigis community, they had a daughter Linda and a son John Ernest "Ernie" and spent almost fourteen very contented and happy years together before her death from cancer. John and the children stayed on alone at the family farm until one year later in 1973. He met and married Irene (Renie) Oats, a widow with three sons living east of Claremore in the Justus community. The boys, Troy, George, and Tom had lost their father to cancer. A year later, John and Irene had a daughter, Karen and this completed their family of four boys and two girls. John retired due to health problems and enjoyed the time at home and chauffeuring the kids here and there for school activities and family camping vacations, sitting through "rain, sleet, and snow" for football games and cheerleading. Watching wrestling matches , basketball games, gymnastics, and softball games and then again with the grandchildren. As long as his health allowed. John pulled a camping trailer and he and Irene vacationed together over the United States, the children accompanied them on these excursions until they considered themselves too grown up, but their daughter Karen and her friends continued to go and these were happy years. In 1985, john and Irene built a cabin on the Illinois River and spent many happy weekends and vacations there with the family and friends until John's health slowed them down. John leaves behind his wife Irene; oldest daughter, Linda Mallard and children, Jamie of Disney, Jarod of Eucha, and Jeremy (U. S. Marines) Washington, D.C.; youngest daughter Karen and husband Shawn Mowery and children, Paige and Ashton of Eucha, Brent and Clint of Grove; son Ernie Burns and wife Leona and children, Cassie living near Oolagah Lake and Sean (U. S. Army) North Korea; son Tom Oats and wife Teresa and their daughters Chelsy and Alisha of Eucha; son Troy Oats of Alva; sister Jane Brooks and family of Sapulpa, Tulsa, an Oklahoma City; sister Luvern Finnell of Vinita and her daughter Bonnie of Illinois; sister, Myra Grote of Granite City, Ill. and her family; brother-in-law Gene Spurlock and wife Jenny and children of Claremore and Chelsea; brother-in-law Joe Spurlock and wife Dell and family of Concord, Calif.; brother-in-law George Spurlock and family of Tulsa; John's brother Henry McClain is deceased but his sister-in-law Vina McClain and family resided in the Ketchum area; his brother Ed McClain and wife Gladys are both deceased but leave a host of nieces and nephews of this area. Gene McClain and wife Bea are both deceased; his sister's husbands, Coney Brooks, Lee Finnell, and Wes Grote, are all deceased. In addition to these, John had his first wife's family who stayed close over the years. His sister-in-laws and their husbands and children, Lois and Roy Colberg, Joyce and Jerry Gosnell, Maxine and Bill Brown, Ruth Garrison, Peggy Griffith, Donald and Doris Chaffin, Ralph and Kim Chaffin. John was a good and loving husband and father who loved to celebrate Halloween and special holidays with his family. He will be sorely missed in his home and community. It will not be the same without "grampa" and without "Johnny Burns down the road." Funeral services will be held at 10:00 a.m. Saturday, December 13 at the Turner Funeral Chapel in Langley. Rev. Skip McClain will officiate. Internment will be in the Ketchum Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Friday, December 12 at the Turner Funeral Chapel in Langley. Services are entrusted to the Turner Funeral Chapel of Langley, Okla. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Return to Delaware County Archives: http://www.usgwarchives.net/ok/delaware/delaware.html