Alice Opal (Hedges) Burks, 97, of May, Texas passed from her earthly home to her long- awaited HOME in Glory on Wednesday, September 8, 2021.
A visitation with the family will be held from 12:00 – 1:00PM, Thursday, September 16, 2021 at Heartland Funeral Home in the Chapel just prior to the Funeral Service at 1:00PM. Interment will follow the service at Eastlawn Memorial Park in Early, Texas, Officiated by Ron & Elaine Keener.
Alice Opal (Hedges) Burks was born in Bronte, Texas to Henry Clinton Hedges and Lucy Grace (Nixon) Hedges, on Saturday, March 8, 1924.
Alice lived a full life as well as a life full of people which started when she was born, “the baby of her family.” Her family filled their horse drawn buggy on Sunday mornings, as they left for Sunday School and church. Along the way, they stopped to pick-up other children to take to church with them. One of the favorite songs they sang was, “Jesus Loves Me This I Know.”
The Hedges’ home was always filled with plenty of people and lots of activity. Alice’s stories of growing- up in the days when families worked hard and long hours together just to survive and to be able to put food on the table to eat were fascinating. She said, her brothers always teased her about being the “baby” of the family and not having to work as hard in the cotton or maze fields like everyone else. They loved to taunt her by calling her Alice SOpal instead of Alice Opal.
On April 20, 1942, she married Gordon Lancewell Burks. They had two children, Jackie Don Burks and Alice Elaine Burks.
Alice began attending Sunday School and church at First Baptist Church in Crane, Texas, with Jackie and Elaine. About 6 months later, Gordon finally agreed to attend the church service only. He did so because Elaine kept asking him over and over to go to Sunday School and church with them. During that time, Gordon came under conviction regarding a commitment he had made to God in a foxhole in Germany during WWII. At that time, he had committed to God that if He let him get back home safely to his family he would do whatever God wanted him to do when he returned from the war. In 1945, he came home safe. In 1952, he finally surrendered to the calling of becoming a minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Alice then became convicted that she had never been saved. She shared her conviction with Gordon. He suggested to her that she go talk and pray with Pastor Hubert Christian. Following their visit, and her prayer of repentance and acceptance of Jesus Christ as her Savior and Lord, she made a public profession of her faith and was joyfully baptized at the age of 29, in 1953.
Then, Alice became greatly concerned about being a minister’s wife because of her lack of education. God used her pastor, Hubert Christian, once again, to assure her that it was God living in her that would direct her steps and show her the way. Gordon quit his well-paying job at Phillips 66, and they moved to Corpus Christi, Texas, for him to attend the University of Corpus Christi to prepare for the ministry. So began Gordon and Alice’s 40-year ministry together until his death on November 5, 1993. They served in churches in California, Oklahoma, and Texas.
Despite living on a shoestring budget during their years of ministry, Alice always had a song in her heart. Her love of music and young children gave her a special ministry in the church nursery and teaching young children in Sunday School. Of course, there were always lots of songs.
After experiencing heart trouble and having bypass surgery, Gordon started to be concerned about how Alice would get by when he was no longer there to care for her. She told him, “Gordon, we’ve been through a lot. But, the Lord has always seen us through, and He is going to see me through if you go first.” And, without a doubt, God did.
After Gordon departed to Heaven, Alice became a faithful member of First Baptist Church Lake Brownwood. She was an active member there from January 1994 to January 2018. For a time, she rotated turns in the nursery. Then, she began to sing in the church choir, and with a group from the church, who regularly sang in the different nursing homes in Brownwood and Early. She loved greeting people who came to church each Sunday morning. She faithfully called new people who visited the church and those who missed church on Sunday. She always wanted to make sure they were alright.
Alice loved God with all her heart. She was a relentless prayer warrior until she went Home. She shared faithfully about Jesus’ redeeming love with anyone who would listen. She loved her family beyond any words that could possibly express just how much. She loved her friends and missed them when they passed. She loved people and never met a stranger.
In October 2018, she began attending North Lake Community Church. She blessed everyone, once again, with her love of music, singing hymns from memory, and smiles. When the Covid outbreak occurred in March 2020, she was no longer able to attend, but always wanted everyone to know how much she loved and missed them.
God blessed Alice with several amazing talents. She could sew the most beautiful clothes. Everything finished to perfection. She also loved to crochet. She copied many doilies by counting each stitch to make another one. She made angels, all kinds of doilies, pot-holders, house slippers and other items. Many of these pieces were given as gifts to family members, friends, and people she did not know. In 1995, she made 100 colorful doilies as Agape gifts for Elaine to take to an Emmaus Walk.
‘I lift up my eyes to the mountains—where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.” Psalm 121:1-2 NIV
‘being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ; Philippians 1:6 NKJV
SURVIVED BY:
Daughter Elaine Burks-Keener (Ron) of May, Texas.
Grandchildren: Tricia Longley (Lance) of Lubbock, Rebecca Tindle (Michael) of Brownwood, Timothy Burks (Tanya) of Aiken, S.C., Lydia Trowbridge (Cody) of Brownwood, Elisabeth Huston (Travis) of McKinney, Charity Hoedebeck (Dwight) of Midland, and Joan Karnes (Levi) of Brownwood.
Great-Grandchildren: Cassandra, Conner, Jerry, Morgan, Katie, Alexandria, Lancewell, Brianna, Hunter, Cody Dewayne, Autumn, Addilynn, and Lincoln.
Great Great-Grandchildren: Nolan, Payton, Tate, Olivia, and Ryder.
PRECEDED IN DEATH BY:
Husband of 51 years, Gordon Lancewell Burks
Parents: Henry Clinton Hedges and Lucy Grace (Nixon) Hedges
Siblings: John Ruben Hedges, Lee Roy Hedges, Benjamin Vernon. Hedges, Mollie
Lee (Hedges) Stephenson, and Joe Hale Hedges
Children: Son, Jackie Don Burks, and beloved Daughter-in-law, Pearl Rebecca (Sims) Burks
Grandson: Freddy Wayne Carnahan
Great Grandson: Phillip Robert Trowbridge.
Memorial Contributions can be made to the Children’s Fund at North Lake Community Church. The mailing address is 3131 Harbor Drive; May, Texas 76857.
Or, Mission Dignity (A ministry of GuideStone) 5005 LBJ Freeway, Ste 2200; Dallas, Texas 75244-6152