Jane Thomas Burns, 87, went to be with her Lord and Savior on Friday, July 13, 2018 at the Reed Green House at United Methodist Senior Services –Traceway Campus where she had resided the last several years. Jane was born in Lake Village, Ark. on August 21, l932 to Elmo and Ione Livingston Thomas and grew up in Vicksburg, MS. They later homesteaded in the Palmetto Community of Lee County. Jane attended Tupelo Schools and graduated from Shannon High School and Itawamba Junior College where she was an ace basketball star lettering each year. She did further study at Mississippi State University. She married James “Cotton” Burns from Beech Springs on August 18, 1959. She worked for a few years at Mid- South Packers and retired after an almost 40 years career with the USDA Farmer Home Administration in Tupelo. She was a past Worthy Matron of the Tupelo Chapter of the Order of the Eastern Star and was affiliated with the Mary Stuart Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution and the Colonial Dames. Jane was an active, faithful and committed member of Harrisburg Baptist Church where she was a member of the Sanctuary and Senior Adults Choirs for many years. Jane faithfully participated in the Women’s Missionary Union (WMU) as local director and served in various capacities on the state and national level. She was a daily prayer warrior on behalf of foreign missions, personal friends to many of the missionaries and one of the great supporters of the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering supporting Southern Baptist International Missions Programs.
A service honoring her life will be held at 2 PM Monday, July 16, 2018 at the Harrisburg Baptist Church with Dr. Forrest Sheffield and Bro. Tim Alexander officiating. Private burial will follow in Lee Memorial Park. Visitation will be from Noon-service time on Monday at Harrisburg. Memorials may be made to the Lottie Moon International Missions Fund, c/o Harrisburg Baptist Church, 4675 Cliff Gookin Blvd, Tupelo, MS. 38801.
Jane was preceded in death by her parents, Elmo and Ione Thomas; her husband, James Hoyle “Cotton” Burns in 2011 and her nephew, Paul lamar Thomas. She is survived by her sister, Elizabeth Thomas Thomas of the Palmetto Community; her brother, John F. Thomas of Eupora; two nieces who were like daughters, Amy Elizabeth Thomas of Palmetto and Carrie Leigh Thomas Fader (Ron) of Atlanta, GA.
Condolences may be e mailed to hollandfuneraldirectors@comcast.net Holland Funeral Directors is honored to be serving their friends.
