By ANNA BROWN

JONESVILLE — Joan Burgess never could turn away a child, or anybody else who needed help.

Those who worked with her in the booster club concession stand during athletic events at Jonesville High School remember many a time watching her reach into her own pocket for money for a child who couldn’t afford a hot dog or candy. She did the same thing on “Wildcat Fridays” at Jonesville Elementary School, where she also volunteered.

Family friend Terry Heatherly said he’d sometimes kindly fuss at “Nana” the name a lot of folks in Jonesville called Mrs. Burgess.

“I’d say, ‘Nana, you can’t keep buy stuff for these children,’” Heatherly said. “She would say, ‘Oh, it doesn’t matter.’”

Mrs. Burgess, 63, died on Feb. 12. She will be remembered for the hours and hours of time she volunteered through school activities, her church and the community. She served as chairperson of the Jonesville Christmas Parade Committee and headed many local fund-raisers for those with medical problems, accident victims, and also helped raise money for equipment for the Jonesville Fire Department.

Jane Addis and Sherry Gregory remember the countless hours that went into preparing for home games at Jonesville High — hot dogs and chili had to be prepared — and more hours together in the concession stand.

“We used to wonder where all those people came from,” Mrs. Addis said with a laugh. “We’d get so busy and so tired. We were on our feet from the time we got up until the time we went to bed on home football game nights.”

At Jonesville Baptist Church, the three ladies were among a group of women who helped prepare and serve food for those who had had a death in the family at church. Mrs. Burgess was quite a cook and she was known for her chicken salad.

“Anybody who needed chicken salad for a wedding or a shower always called on Joan to make it,” Mrs. Addis said. “She made the chili for the baseball games and she made it for the Church of God when they were having a hot dog sale.”

Heatherly agreed about Mrs. Burgess’ cooking. He said his children were among the many Mrs. Burgess offered child care to in her home over the years and they loved her food.

“My daughter, Morgan, never would eat sausage and eggs at home,” Heatherly said. “She said, ‘You can’t cook them like Nana can.’ My twins, Alex and Cole, ate her vegetable soup. They would say, ‘You can’t cook vegetable soup like Nana did.’”

Heatherly said he went to see Mrs. Burgess’ husband, Donnie, a few days after her death. As he was leaving, Donnie and Mrs. Burgess’ daughter, Nancy, called him back.

“They had three boxes of candy she had bought the day before she died for my children,” Heatherly said.

Mrs. Gregory said Mrs. Burgess was a hard worker and a good friend — someone you could confide in.

“She’d give you the shirt off her back if she could have,” Mrs. Gregory said. “We worked in concessions for years and years and I don’t think we ever had one cross word. She will be missed in our community.”

Mrs. Burgess was upset when Jonesville and Lockhart high schools were consolidated into Union County High.

“It preyed on her mind,” Mrs. Gregory said. “But she told you what she thought and went on about her business.”

With another volunteer, Betty Gault, Mrs. Burgess did “Wildcat Fridays” at Jonesville Elementary School. They often arrived at the school at 9 a.m. and didn’t leave until school ended for the day. Students who had displayed good behavior all week are treated to an extra recess and allowed to purchase refreshments.

“if the children didn’t have any money, she’d slip and give them something,” Mrs. Gregory said. “In the concession stand if someone didn’t have money, she’d say, ‘That’s okay, just take it.’ She couldn’t stand to see children do without.”

Mrs. Burgess’ traveling companions included Shirley Faucette and Phyllis Youngblood. The three also worked together with others on fund raisers in the Jonesville area. Mrs. Youngblood passed away in December.

Mrs. Faucette said she misses her two friends and tries to look back on the pleasant times. She said Mrs. Burgess was always eager to help someone and during fund raisers wanted to be the one who cooked while others planned other aspects.

“She would say, “You take the entertainment, I’ll take the kitchen,’” Mrs. Faucette said.

Mrs. Burgess loved to visit Hilton Head with Mrs. Faucette when she went to see her daughter, Gina, and son-in-law, Andrew, who own a Mexican restaurant.

“They have a six-burner gas stove and Joan said, ‘If I had a kitchen like this, I’d never come out,’” Mrs. Faucette said.

During visitation at the funeral home, Mrs. Faucette said she told Mrs. Burgess’ son-in-law, Gene Lipsey, that she knew what Joan was doing in heaven.

“She is wanting to know what she can cook Jesus for supper,” Mrs. Faucette said.

Family friend Trisha Miller, whose daughters attend Jonesville Elementary School, said everyone misses “Nana.”

“She loved everyone and she made such an impession on the community and the children,” Mrs. Miller said. “One guidance counselor told me after Joan passed there was a small child who was so upset on Wildcat Friday. Joan was always slipping her money on Wildcat Friday so she could get candy. The biggest thing is that Joan inspired me and a lot of other people to get involved and do more. She loved Jonesville so.”

Mrs. Burgess suffered a heart attack in December and was scheduled to undergo open heart surgery on Feb. 24. After the heart attack, her daughters, Nancy Lipsey and Donna Sanders, tried to get her to slow down.

“When she woke up after being on the ventilator the first thing she said was, ‘Now, I don’t want to give up my Wildcat Fridays,’” Mrs. Sanders said.

Mrs. Sanders, a Union County School Board member and teacher in Spartanburg County, said her mother was adamant that she wanted Mrs. Sanders to be an organ donor.

“I didn’t make the decision permanent until the last time I had my driver’s license renewed,” she said. “She was pleased when I told her.”

Mrs. Burgess became an organ donor at her death.

“To me it seemed she left her just like she had lived her life — giving to someone,” Mrs. Sanders said. “She wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.”

Mrs. Sanders said she was amazed by the number of people who paid their respects to the family at the funeral home during visitation and at her mother’s funeral.

“It was good to see that her work wasn’t done in vain; people really appreciated the work she had done. It was really sweet the support we received.”

Mrs. Lipsey said her mother was a blessing to everyone.

“You don’t know how many times I have thanked God He chose me to be her daughter,” she said. “And I’m glad my mother had my daddy. He loved her unconditionally. We all stayed on her about slowing down. She was afraid somebody out there needed her; somebody out there had something for her to do.”

Mrs. Lipsey said she can’t remember ever hearing her mother speak an ill word about anyone. She said if she and her sister mentioned someone who had wronged them, her mother quickly answered., ‘You know, Nancy, Donna, don’t let that bother you. They will have to answer for what they do.”

On Feb. 24, the day Mrs. Burgess’ surgery was scheduled, Mrs. Lipsey said her husband, Gene “Doc” called her on her job at Jonesville Middle School.

“He knew it was going to be a rough day and he asked how I was doing,” Mrs. Lipsey said. “I said, ‘Not so good. Today is the day my mama’s heart was supposed to be fixed.’ He said, ‘Nancy, look at it this way. Your mama got a new heart, a new heart from the greatest physician.’ That really made me feel better.”

Gene, who teaches sports medicine at Union County High School, said his mother-in-law spent all of her time giving to others and never wanted anything in return. He said she treated him and Donna’s husband, Mark, as if they also were her children.

“The other night Nancy asked me, ‘What do you think Mama is doing in heaven?’” Gene said. “I said she is helping someone, no doubt. She just had a tremendous heart for anybody. At the funeral home, 535 people signed the register. That was a great tribute to the lady she was.”

That day before the visitation, one of Gene’s former students called him and reported another good deed Mrs. Burgess had done.

“He said, ‘I bet you didn’t know this. My sister was diagnosed with cancer and your mother-in-law made up enough money for our groceries and the expenses to send her to Duke,’” Gene said. “That was something we didn’t know.”