Mrs. Bonnie Norris Burkhalter Sides, age 78 of Wedowee, passed away on Tuesday, December 4, 2018 at her home. Her funeral service will be held on Saturday, December 8th, 2018 at 2:00 p.m. at Barfield Baptist Church with Rev. Tim Tingle and Rev. John Howell officiating. Burial will follow in the adjoining cemetery.
Mrs. Burkhalter was born on April 20, 1940 in Clay County, Alabama, the daughter of Lamanda Green Burkhalter and Willie Radford Burkhalter. She was raised in Alexander City, Alabama along with her sister Carolyn Burkhalter Waller. She attended Avondale grade school and Benjamin Russell High School and devoted herself to being the best student she could be. Bonnie enjoyed cheerleading and loved to read and be creative. Upon graduation from high school, Bonnie attended business college in Birmingham, Alabama. She began her career with an insurance company and soon met the love of her life, Warren “Sonny” Sides. The two fell fast in love and married in Trenton, Georgia on September 26, 1959.
Bonnie and Sonny settled into their first home in Auburn, AL and begin raising a family of loving children: daughter Stacey and sons Warren and Tom. Over the years, the family lived in Tennessee and ultimately settled in East Point, GA just outside of Atlanta in 1964 where they resided for 23 years. Bonnie led a full life in East Point. The family attended Dogwood Hills Baptist Church where Bonnie was very active, and she was constantly volunteering in the children’s schools as a PTA leader, Girl Scout leader and kindergarten bus driver.
In her mid-thirties, she returned to complete her education at Clayton Junior College and then transferred to Georgia State University for a bachelor’s and master’s degree, graduating with High Honors and degrees in education and counseling. Bonnie secured a position with Fulton County Mental Health Center in East Point and in 1987 the family moved to Fredericksburg, VA where Bonnie led a team of people who counseled women with substance abuse problems in Fredericksburg and Fairfax County.
After 17 years the family moved back home to Alabama where Bonnie always dreamed of living on a lake, gardening and relaxing in the sun. After settling in Wedowee, Bonnie taught Sunday school at Barfield Baptist Church, served as a WMU leader and devoted herself to helping her aging family and rekindling old friendships. She led a beautiful life as a devoted wife, loving mother, sister and friend. Her loving nature and generous spirit blessed those who knew her.
Mrs. Sides is survived by her husband of 59 years, Warren C. Sides Jr. of Wedowee; one daughter, Stacey Sides Rorie of Durham, NC; two sons: Warren C. Sides III (Bonnie) of Griffin, GA and Tom H. Sides (Terese) of Huntersville, NC; one sister, Carolyn Waller (Brad) of Arlington, TX; five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Jimmy Sides, Joseph Sides, Benjamin Sides, Thomas Sides, Brad Waller II and Jonathan Barnett will serve as pallbearers.
The family will receive friends on Friday, December 7, 2018 from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. at Benefield Funeral Home in Lineville. Mrs. Sides will lie in state at the church for one hour prior to service time on Saturday. Flowers will be accepted or memorial contributions may be made to Barfield Baptist Church or the Alzheimer’s Association at alz.org.
