Memorials › Burnett Charlie James
Burnett Charlie James
17 Dec 1925 – 28 Dec 2015
| Birth | 17 Dec 1925 |
| Death | 28 Dec 2015 |
| Cemetery | Ridgeview Memorial Park Allen , Collin County , Texas , USA |
| Added by | JEF on 08 Dec 2019 |
| FaG | https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/156762481 |
Bio
Burnett Charlie James, 90, of Fairview, Texas, died Monday, December 28, 2015, from natural causes. Visitation will be from 1 to 2 p.m., prior to the funeral serviceS at 2 p.m., Saturday, January 9, 2016, at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 737 East Melissa Road, Melissa, Texas. Entombment will follow in Ridgeview Memorial Park in Allen, Texas. Burnett was born in Garvin, McCurtain County, Oklahoma, to the late Jesse Albert James and Irene (Mills) Hopson. As a youth, he attended the Farmers Hill Country School in Garvin. Burnett later enrolled at the Jones Indian Academy, five miles northeast of Hartshorne, Oklahoma. He was a proud member of the Choctaw Nation. While attending Jones Academy, Burnett was drafted into the U.S. Army to fight in World War II. He was 18 years of age at the time. Burnett served in the 87th Division of the 365th Regiment, U.S Army Infantry, under the command of General George S. Patton. He was trained as a machine gunner. Burnett was shipped overseas in November of 1944. He served in France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and Germany. The 87th Division fought in the Battle of the Bulge, cracked the Siegfried Line, crossed the Rhine River, and captured the historic city of Koblenz, Germany. Burnett was a decorated war hero, receiving the Silver Star and Combat Infantry Badge for his bravery in the line of duty. He exemplified his division motto, "Stalwart and Strong." Upon returning home to Oklahoma after the war, in 1946, Burnett met Juanita June Steele, who lived next door to his mother and step-father, Joe Hopson. Burnett and Juanita were married in Wheeler, Texas, the following year. They had two children. He worked as a truck driver for the Cudahy Meat Packing House for over 20 years. Burnett later worked 10 years at the Weyerhauser Paper Mill in Valiant, Oklahoma. He was an avid hunter, fisherman, and outdoorsman; and he crafted beautiful silver jewelry. Burnett recently traveled to San Antonio, Texas, where he received the "French Legion of Honor" medal for his defense of France during World War II. Last week he received the Chahta Elder’s "Wisdom Blanket" from Gary Batton, Chief of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. The blanket was given as a token of respect and appreciation as an elder of the Tribe. He was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Juanita. Survivors include his daughter, Linda Diane James Pittman and her husband, Larry of Edmond, Oklahoma; son, Terry Lawson James and his wife, Dorris, of Fairview, Texas; nine grandchildren; and 18 great-grandchildren. W20
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