Merle Burchfield-Brown

Merle Brown, 85 passed away on April 24, 2010. Merle was born in Richton, Perry County, Mississippi on December 18, 1924.

She spent her childhood on a farm with her parents George A and Sarah Newell. She graduated in 1943 after which she was pursued by a young soldier, Walter A. Joe Burchfield, whom she met prior to his deployment to Europe in World War II. They were married shortly after his return and moved to Roswell, New Mexico, Walker Army Air Field, which later became Walker Air Force Base with the arrival of B36 aircraft. Merle became a military wife and followed her husband to Selma, Alabama at Craig Air Force Base, and Savannah Georgia at Hunter Air Force Base.

By 1949, they had three children. In 1954, the family moved to Rhein Main Air Force Base, in Frankfurt, Germany where they lived for three years then requested to return to Walker Air Force Base in Roswell where they planned to eventually retire.

In 1963, Merle and Joe built their retirement home where they were active in their childrens school activities, sports, parents organizations and their church. Merle was a homemaker for most of her married years until the children were grown. At age 43, she was accepted into nursing school. Some of her happiest memories were working the surgical floor at Eastern New Mexico Medical Center. She loved her patients and they loved her. She was respected by the doctors, hospital staff, and fellow nurses.

In 1978, she was widowed and return to Mississippi to be near her parents and her special needs child whom she referred to as her Angel Unaware.

After Merles father passed away, she moved her mother into her home where she cared for her for ten years. Merle is preceded in death by W.A. Burchfield, father of her children, her husband Sidney L. Brown, parents George A. and Sarah BlackNewell, her two younger sisters, Joyce BurchfieldSanderson, and June NewellBrown, a daughter Mary Ann Burchfield, and nephews George Edward Burchfield and Michael Sanderson.

In October of 2005, Merle moved from Biloxi, Mississippi back to Roswell, New Mexico following Hurricane Katrina to be near her daughter and family. Merle quickly became a member of Berrendo Baptist Church where she could be found every Sunday and became involved in every aspect of her neighborhood church. She made new friends and loved her new neighbors, sharing cooking, gardening and chatting on the patio.

Upon loss of her eyesight and general health decline, she could no longer drive and she moved into an assisted living retirement home in June 2009 where she lived until she passed from this earthly life. She will be sorely misses by all her loved ones and friends.

She is survived by a daughter, Sue BurchfieldSmith, and her husband Dr. Robert Smith, her son Harry J. Burchfield and wife Kim of Carson City, Nevada Granddaughter: Melissa SmithWilliams and her children, Landen, Truett, and Ava Grace of Prosper, Texas grandsons, Robert Smith, II of Phoenix, Arizona, Jevan Burchfield of Reno, Nevada and Caedron Burchfield of Brooklyn, New York, and a special niece Joyce Cissy BurchfieldPlummer and husband C.M. Plummer, III of Biloxi, Mississippi.

The family will receive guests from 47 P.M. on Monday, April 26, 2010 at LaGrone Funeral Chapel, to whom services have been entrusted. Graveside services will be held at South Park Cemetery at 11 A.M. on Tuesday, April 27, 2010. Should the weather be inclement, the services will be in the chapel. The Rev. Troy Grant of Berrendo Baptist Church shall preside over the services.

Memorials may be made to Berrendo Baptist Church or the Silver Chords of First United Methodist Church, who sing old hymns and gospel music for retirement and nursing facilities in Southeast New Mexico.

Mrs. Brown found comfort and reassurance by playing the Silver Chords CDs and listening to Gaither Gospel music. The following is a tribute to our mother:

A Nurses Prayer of Compassion

Lord, help me to bring Comfort where there is pain,
Courage where there is fear,
Hope where there is despair,
Acceptance when the end is near,
And a touch gentle with tenderness, patience and love.

Visitation

LaGrone Funeral Chapel
900 South Main
Roswell, NM  88203
Monday, April 26, 2010
4:00 P.M.

Service

Graveside

South Park Cemetery
3101 S. Main
Roswell, NM  88201
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
11:00 A.M.

Cemetery

South Park Cemetery
Roswell, NM  88203

Memorial Contributions

401 W. Berrendo Rd.
Roswell, NM  88201


200 N. Pennsylvania
Roswell, NM  88201