Nancy R. Burford

Nancy Elizabeth Rowsey Burford, 80, passed away on July 18, 2019 in Madison, Mississippi.  

Funeral services will be at 2:00 P.M. on Sunday, July 21, 2019 in the Martin Willingham Memorial Chapel of Wells Funeral Home with interment to follow at Magnolia Cemetery. The family will be receiving friends Saturday evening from 5:00 to 7:00 P.M. at Wells Funeral Home, and also, one hour prior to the funeral service on Sunday.

She was born on November 21, 1938 in Memphis, Tennessee to Hubert Holmes Rowsey and Emma Hustler Faulkner Rowsey.  Growing up she attended Courtland Public School and graduated from Batesville High School.

She attended Northwest Junior College for 2 years, a majorette both years and named Miss Northwest in 1958.  She then attended The University of Mississippi and was a member of the Alpha Omicron Pi sorority graduating with a Home Economics degree and began her career as a Home Economist with Mississippi Power & Light Company. 

She married Cecil Weston Burford, Jr. of Como, Mississippi in 1961.  She was a stay at home mom when her 2 sons were young, then she taught kindergarten at First United Methodist Church in Greenville, Mississippi for a few years.  She went back to school at Delta State for her teaching certificate and then taught first through third grade at Leland Elementary School, Hernando Elementary School and Senatobia Elementary School for a total of 20+ years.

She was a Master Gardener and active in the Coldwater First Baptist Church in Coldwater, Mississippi prior to moving to Madison, Mississippi.

She was predeceased by her husband of 53 years, Cecil Weston Burford, Jr. and a son in 1969.   She is survived by her two sons Cecil Weston Burford, III, of Atlanta, Georgia and Christopher Holmes Burford, (Bronwyn Caves Burford) and two grandchildren, Elizabeth Faulkner Burford and Catherine Holmes Burford, all of Madison, Mississippi. She is also survived by sister, Marilyn Rowsey Canada and husband Frank Canada of Hernando, Mississippi and nephews Dr. Brad Canada and Jason Canada of Memphis, Tennessee.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Alzheimer's Association, or a charity of your choice in her honor.