Juanita Burgess (Lebanon)'s Obituary
Juanita Faye (Jemes) Burgess, of Lebanon, Missouri, departed from this life the morning of Thursday, June 21, 2012, in the Christian Health Care North, in Lebanon, Missouri, at the age of eighty-six years, five months, and six days.
She was one of seven children born to the late Ira Elmer and Artie Lee (Lawson) Jemes, on January 15, 1926, at home in Laclede County, Missouri. She grew up and attended school in a little one-room schoolhouse known as Stoney Point, where she completed and received her eighth grade graduation certificate.
Growing up, Juanita and her siblings worked on the family farm, in addition to her parents’ family owned and operated gas and grocery store in Laclede County. Her father Ira was a music teacher and taught all his children to play numerous instruments and Juanita learned to play the mandolin and guitar. Family jam sessions were the norm in the Jemes’ household and throughout their community.
Juanita accepted Christ as a young girl in the Mt. Zion (Cuba) Freewill Baptist Church, where her father served as a music director and deacon.
On June 14, 1947, Juanita married Robert “Bob” Allison, and soon they were blessed with two daughters, Elaine and Jackie. Then life took a turn for Juanita, and she met Wesley V. Burgess, They were married on March 17, 1958, and from this union the family welcomed the birth of two more children, Don and Cheryl.
Juanita lived her life her way, being a self-reliant, single woman, with a good work ethic. Qualities she instilled in her children at very young ages. Juanita’s friendly personality served as one of her greatest assets in her careers as a waitress and store clerk. She worked many years for her daughter, Elaine, at the old St. Bernard Fruit Market and Elaine’s Beauty Supply in downtown Lebanon, until her retirement in the fall of 2010. On December 15, 2010, Juanita suffered a debilitating stroke and other health problems, however, she persevered, teaching everyone to be content in whatever trouble and situation life brings.
Juanita liked old style country music, and in her younger days, loved to dance. In fact, she and her first husband, Bob, entered area square dance competitions. She made the best pot of beans, and chocolate cake, which she named “the ugly cake”. She was artistic, and known as the “what not queen” to her children. This was due to her great enthusiasm and enjoyment for searching out yard sales to buy broken treasures that no one else wanted, just so she could take them home to repair and paint them. She and grandson, Randy, found great enjoyment in doing crafts together, and liked jazzing things up with beads. Juanita was an avid reader of westerns and romance novels. She enjoyed watching Pastor John Hagee on Sunday mornings, soap operas and TV shows like, CSI and Dancing With The Stars. She also liked to watch the birds at their feeder outside her window. However, time spent with her family touched her heart.
She was preceded in death by her parents; two brothers, Wilferd and Ronnie Jemes; a brother-in-law, Joe Wynns; a son-in-law, Larry Tasker; and her granddaughter, Kimberly Elaine Billington.
Juanita leaves to cherish her memory her four children, Elaine Tasker Amos, and her husband, James, of Lebanon, Missouri, Jackie Keller Haffer, and her husband, Denny, of St. Louis, Missouri, Don Wesley Burgess, of Springfield, Missouri, and Cheryl Oursbourn, and her husband, Barry, of Stoutland, Missouri; her siblings, Wilmetta Wynns, of Lebanon, Missouri, Merrill Jemes, of Morgan, Missouri, Fern Hale, and her husband, Ted, of Lebanon, Missouri, and Loraine Jemes, and his wife, Brenda, of Morgan, Missouri; six grandchildren, Randy Tasker, Rob Tasker, Shane Keller, and his wife, Nikki, Ricky Don Biggers, and his wife, Mary Ann, Adam Oursbourn, and Brandon Burgess; seven great-grandchildren, Allison and Bailee Billington, Brennen, Kelson, and Jaylin Keller, Karsyn Biggers, and baby Burgess on the way; several nieces and nephews; her beloved and faithful cat, Tabby; as well as a host of other relatives and friends.
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