Obituaries

Services for Mary Jane Bell Burns, loving wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, cousin and aunt, who went to be with her Heavenly Father on August 6, 2019, will be held at Dannel Funeral Home, Sherman TX at 11 am, Monday August 12. Burial will be in Friendship Cemetery with services conducted by Rev. Dr. Cherie Fry, Chaplin at Heart To Heart Hospice. The family will receive guests before the service starting at 10 am.

Mary Jane was born on September 30, 1922, in the Methodist parsonage, Bonham, TX to Rev. Ben Bell and Ruby Simmons Bell. She graduated from Leonard High School, Leonard, TX, and attended Texas Wesleyan College, Ft Worth, TX and Austin College. She married David Edwin Burns of Emsworth, PA on September 23, 1945 in Greenville, TX. Jane & David met in 1942 while on a church sponsored hayride when the Bell's lived in Archer City, TX and David was stationed a Sheppard AFB, Wichita Falls, TX.

Mary Jane lived in numerous small towns in the north Texas area such as Bonham, Howe, Wichita Falls, Frisco, Leonard, Whitewright, Archer City and Greenville moving with her family as her father, a Methodist minister was transferred from one church to another. At this time, it was common Methodist church practice to move ministers around, almost on an annual basis. Along the way Mary Jane made many friends and enjoyed a lifetime of cherished relationships. One of her greatest joys was to be known as a “preacher’s kid”.

After marriage, she and David moved to Sherman where they lived their entire married lives. She started a career in the Abstract and Title field in Archer City and Greenville. Upon moving to Sherman she continued what was to be a 50 year career with employment at Sherman Abstract Co in 1946. She later joined Security Abstract & Title Co where she served as manager for 30 plus years. After retirement, she returned to work at Sherman Title for 3 more years. She officially retired in 1996.

Mary Jane was a longtime member of Key Memorial Methodist Church, serving in many capacities. She was an accomplished pianist who started taking piano lessons at age 6 and often accompanied the church choir during her father's Sunday sermons. She was the pianist for the Builder Uppers Sunday school class from its inception in the late forties. She was also known for being a caregiver to her aunts and other extended family. She also took art lessons and loved to paint still life in acrylics. Her family was always the most important thing in her life.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband of 71 years David E Burns, brother Ben Bell, sister-in-law Joanne Grammer Bell, and her nephew Billy Ben Bell. Surviving are her daughters Janis Burns Oliver and Brenda Burns Marr and husband, Larry; granddaughter Lauren Langford Thomas and partner Justin Edwards; great-grandchildren Baylee Jane, Gavin Burns and Madelyn James; cousins Carole J Smith Kahle and husband Dick, and Wayne Smith and wife Shirley.

Memorials may be made to the Care Team at First United Methodist Church, Sherman, TX in Mary Jane's memory.

The Burns family would like to thank Angie McClain RN and Rev Dr Cherie Fry from Heart to Heart Hospice for the loving care shown to Mrs. Burns. Also special thanks to to the wonderful team of caregivers at Brookdale Willows, Kristen, Anita, Shauna & Lyndsey.