Opsie Maye Jackson Burwell

Opsie Maye Jackson Burwell, age 90 of Cleveland, Texas passed away Friday, February 25, 2022. She was born November 17, 1931, in Tarkington Prairie, Texas to parents Jesse Nicholas Jackson and Clora Harrell Jackson who preceded her in death along with her brother, Jesse Denton Jackson; and sister, Nora Lee Jackson Coats.

Survivors include her husband, Willard (Pete) S. Burwell, Jr.; daughter, Cheryl Lee Hilderbrand; sons, Jesse Ernest Hilderbrand and Clyde Glen Hilderbrand; 6 grandchildren, 10 great-grandchildren, 1 great-great-grandchild, numerous nieces and nephews.

Opsie attended Tarkington High School and graduated with the Class of 1948. She attended Hermann Hospital School of Nursing and graduated with a LVN nursing degree. She worked at Hermann Hospital as an emergency room nurse, Blood bank services as a phlebotomist and lab technician processing blood, a mobile unit charge nurse in Texas as well as Louisiana, and as an office manager and nurse for Dr. William Frank Tenney (pediatric nephrology (kidneys)), and later for Dr. Robert D. Jackson (pediatric cardiology).

Opsie loved to travel and see all the beauty the USA has to offer. Each year she would pick a destination and plan the route to all the places she wanted to see and the things she wanted to do for that year, including: Full length of the Blue Ridge Parkway by motorcycle, to the top of Pikes Peak by motorcycle, to the south and north rim of the Grand Canyon, Bryce and Zion Canyons in Utah, Glacier National Park, Montana, Canyonlands National Park and Arches National Park in Utah, Key West Florida, just to name a few. After 50 years of traveling together, Opsie and Pete had gone to every state in the Union.

Opsie had several hobbies over the years that she enjoyed: decorative toil painting, Swedish weaving, Tenerife lace needlepoint, restoring and refurbishing antique trucks.

Opsie will be greatly missed by her husband Pete, her family and friends who loved her dearly.

Visitation will be held from 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m., Friday, March 4, 2022, at Oak Shade Baptist Church, Cleveland, Texas with funeral services starting at 11:00 a.m. Interment will follow at Ryan Cemetery, Cleveland, Texas.