Elsa Mae Burgin died Monday, Feb. 24, 2014, in Owasso, at the age of 91.
Visitation will be held from 5-8 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2014, at Mowery Funeral Service in Owasso.
Funeral services will be at 1 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 27, 2014, at the Mowery Funeral Service Chapel.
She was born Aug. 7, 1922, in Seligman, Mo., to Austin and Glee Reed.
Elsa was reared and educated in Garfield, Ark.
She met her husband Bob in Los Angeles and they married in 1947.
Three years later, they moved back to Tulsa.
Elsa made her focus her family and during the 1960s she and Bob owned and operated Burgin Grocery.
Burgin Grocery became a regular before and after school stop for the neighborhood kids, a place where families shopped and a local hang out for local sports teams to celebrate a victory.
There were many occasions when families were unable to pay for their groceries and Elsa and Bob let them charge their purchases. In fact, Elsa allowed children to open their “first charge account” to purchase snacks or a bottle of pop.
She and Bob loved to travel and some of their favorite places were Germany, London, Switzerland and Italy.
They enjoyed meeting people during their travels and often kept in touch with them long after the trip had ended.
The Burgins made yearly family trips to Iowa, California and Arkansas to visit relatives, attend school/family reunions and sightsee.
Elsa loved meeting people at every turn, enjoyed seeing new places and sharing great adventures.
Her personality afforded her the opportunity to meet so many people that her annualChristmas card list rivaled those of royalty.
Before moving to Owasso, Elsa was a member of Sheridan Avenue United Methodist Church in Tulsa.
She and Bob were members of First United Methodist Church in Owasso since 1991 where they took part in many activities for the good of the church and their church family.
Elsa had a passion for the United Methodist Women and the Trailblazer group.
She was a past Chaplain for the Ladies Auxiliary of the Owasso American Legion and volunteered for the American Red Cross.
She had a lifelong passion for cooking, cake decorating and sewing.
Her cakes and pies were the first sold at the church bazaars and her sewing talents, which included doll clothes, quilts and embroidery, were admired by all.
Elsa loved spending time with her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.
Her stories and memories brightened every family gathering and she lived life to the fullest.
She was the star of her family and will continue to shine eternally.
Survivors include: her children, Jodie Backward and husband Dickie, of Tulsa, Bobbie Griffin and husband Jack, of Fort Worth, Texas, Walter Burgin and wife Ruth, of Conway, Ark., and Gerry Yancey and husband Charles, of Olathe, Kan.; grandchildren, Cynthia Crews, Brad Burgin and wife Jennifer, Chris Yancey and wife M-A, Brandee Green and husband Ray, Brent Burgin and wife Jennifer, and Jordan Yancey and wife Emilie; great grandchildren, Alex, Marin and Zoe Crews, Maddie and Noah Burgin, Maya-Rose Yancey, Chloe Green, and one on the way; and many nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her loving husband, Bob; parents, Austin and Glee Reed; and sister, Mary Lou Perkins.
The family requests memorial contributions be made to UMW at First United Methodist Church at 13800 E. 106th St. N. in Owasso or Grace Hospice at 6400 S. Lewis Ave. in Tulsa.
Arrangements and services were entrusted to Mowery Funeral Service in Owasso.
