Burchfield named Mother of the Year
By DENNIS KUTAC REPORTER

Edith Lucille Burchfield was surprised to find out she had been selected as the Port Neches Mother of the Year. The announcement was made during RiverFest. MCC/Dennis Kutac

PORT NECHES - Edith Burchfield probably couldn't have asked for a better weekend.

Good weather for the tunnel boat races, of which she is an avid fan of and finding the festival's treasure on Saturday were among the events that made for an enjoyable weekend.

But the event that topped it off on Sunday was the announcement that she had been selected as the 2008 Port Neches Mother of the Year.

"I didn't know anything about this. It's a surprise. I thought I was having fun yesterday when I found the treasure," she said.

"We couldn't make it if we didn't have the family that we do. We stick together, laugh together and cry together."

Edith Lucille White Burchfield, 82, was nominated by her three daughters. Burchfield said she and her husband have been lucky to have such a family.

"She is a strong, supportive woman, wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and mother-in-law. She maintains her own housekeep- ing, drives and shops for her own groceries, cooks meals daily, sits with great-grandchildren when needed or picks them up at school, attends and helps coordinate our family reunions and so much more. She is the heart, the love, the 'glue' of our family," said Dinker Wallace, in the letter she wrote to nominate her mother.

Born in the East Texas logging camp of Fastrill on Sept. 7, 1925, she met and grew up with her husband James Daniel Burchfield of 65 years now.

"Over the years, our mom has assisted our father through recovery of heart surgeries and was his strongest support after he had a very severe stroke. She has nursed recovery of tonsillectomies, broken bones, broken hearts and was saddened by the death of a wonderful son-in-law. In 2001, the Park Place (hospital) physical therapists commended her for expedient healing after she, herself, suffered a broken hip. Then in 2004, she had a stroke that she wouldn't let get her down. She fought like a trooper and recovered like a champ. She's one of the toughest, strongest little ladies ever," Wallace said.

She grew up in an impoverished community and worked to help with finances while waiting patiently with a young child for her husband to return from World War II. After the war, they relocated from their home place to begin life as a family and she soon gave birth to two more children.

Wallace said over the years, she held some small jobs, but none as important to her as working for the Port Neches-Groves School District. She retired as cafeteria manager after working for 27 years at various PN-G schools and has always referred to students as "her kids"…and they loved her like a mom, according to her family.

"Sometimes she was mischievously sweet by sneaking extra desserts to students or giving extra food on their second-round meals. She and my dad currently hold 50 yard line season football tickets and are awaiting completion of the new stadium…and they sincerely bleed purple," Wallace said.

For the past Mother's Day celebrations, her family has shared dinner, gifts, cards, flowers, etc.

But Wallace said that changed when the Port Neches RiverFest brought the race boats to town, because she happens to be the most avid sportswoman ever.

"She would send one of us to the riverfront early each day to grab the 'best' spot so she could come later and watch the race and she purposely stands in front of the person that sings the national anthem at the opening events. She has a favorite football team and NASCAR driver and participates in the RiverFest Treasure Hunt every year. She is a very competitive woman," Wallace said.

Her family says there's not much happening that she doesn't know about because she's a great communicator and she assures that they know what's going on with family and friends and she is also known to her family as "our neighborhood watch."

"She is funny, loving, compassionate, but can be stern. She'll scold us in a heartbeat, but lets no one else talk bad about her 'babies' because she will light up like a firecracker. We call her our 'Family Secretary of Defense'," Wallace said.

"Surely, her motherly qualities came from her selftaught, precious past. She learned by the old-school method but is highlydegreed in motherhood with top honors. We pray that we can live the rest of our lives walking in the footsteps of our mother, and to be an heir to her wisdom, faith, love, strength, and patience."