Extracted from The Madisonville Meteor (Madisonville, TX)
Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Mary Evelyn (Burk) Sanders Ward
Oct. 14, 1921 - Feb. 27, 2010

Mary Ward (formerly of Madisonville) passed away Saturday, February 27, 2010 at the age of 88 in Sugar Land. Funeral services are scheduled for11:00 PM Tuesday, March 2nd at Day Funeral Home

Chapel with burial to follow at Willow Hole Cemetery. Bro. Bill Jeter will officiate. The visitation is scheduled from 6:00 -- 8:00 PM Monday, March 1st at Day Funeral Home Chapel. Mary's life was full and blessed. She was born to I.W. Burk and Martha E. Woods Burk in Normangee on October 14, 1921. Mary grew up in Normangee graduating from Normangee High School in 1938. In that same year, she married Herman Sanders and this marriage gave life to four children; Marcia, Donald, Helen, and Kenneth. She was a lifelong dedicated member of the Church of Christ. Mary loved her God and His Word from which she taught her children faith and integrity. Some things she enjoyed were sewing, gardening, and certainly the summer trips to Garner State Park. Always the expert 42 player, she loved playing dominoes especially with her adult children. Upon Herman's death, with her children grown, Mary set out for Fort Worth and a new career in nursing. She worked as a surgical nurse at All Saints Hospital until her retirement. After Mary retired and moved back to Madisonville, she married Cody Ward in 1987 and their love was cut short by his death in 1992. Her focus then became her children and grandchildren whom she loved dearly.

Mary Evelyn was preceded in death by her parents; her husbands, Herman Sanders and Cody Ward; her brothers, Adolph Burk and Arch Burk; her sisters, Lola Mae Bruce, Opal Bledsoe, and Allie Fritch; her son-in-law, Cliff Hollingshead, and her granddaughter, Amy Hines.

Mary Evelyn is survived by her sisters, Frances Queen and Patsy Birdwell and her husband Preston; children Marcia Hollingshead, Donald Sanders and his wife Margo, Helen Davidson and her husband Ray, and Kenneth Sanders and his wife Becky; her grandchildren, Angela Sawyer, Terrell Coble, Shannon Sanders and his wife Renee, Audrey Teague and her husband Darryl, Stephany Burleson and her husband Jett, and Adam Sanders. Additionally, she was loved and will be greatly missed by her fifteen great-grandchildren.

Serving as pallbearers are Adam Sanders, Terrell Coble, Shannon Sanders, Cody Hines, Braden Hines, Spencer Sawyer, T.J. Coble, Andrew Bilodeau, Blake Bilodeau, Darryl Teague, and Jett Burleson.

A special thanks is owed to Jeri Krauss and the caretakers at Emeritus Sugar Land and A*Med Community Hospice.

In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to A*Med Community Hospice at 3535 Briarpark Dr., Suite 220, Houston, TX 77042, or to a charity of your choice.

Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Marvin Stanton, funeral director of Day Funeral Home. Please visit our Web site at www.dayfuneralhome.net.