Etholeen Burchette

Etholeen Burchette passed away peacefully at her home on July 1, 2020. She was born March 14, 1926 to George and Lala Moles in Laurel Fork, Virginia. She attended elementary and high school in Laurel Fork before completing her studies at a business college in Marion, Virginia. After graduation, she took a position working for the City of Marion. While living in Marion, she met and married James S. Burchette, Jr. Etholeen was very active in the First Baptist Church of Marion, Virginia. Her mission in life was always to use her skills and knowledge to give back to others. The Burchette family would often travel back to Virginia to visit Marion, Laurel Fork, the Blue Ridge Mountains and Mabry Mill after moving to Newport. James and Etholeen purchased the Western Auto in Newport, TN in 1958. After moving to Newport, she joined several service clubs and continued to give back to the community. The Burchettes were members of the First Baptist Church in Newport where Etholeen was the second woman to ever hold the distinction of being a deaconess in the church. She was well known for her ability as a seamstress. She used this skill to make very authentic Biblical costumes and to design costumes for her grandchildren. She would research the costume down to the last detail to ensure that it relayed the intended message. Etholeen and her friends, Imogene Freeman and Elizabeth Hurst, were sought after to oversee wedding receptions. She could be seen carrying the tablecloths along with the trays into the First Baptist Church in preparation of a reception. They each contributed their part in creating elegant receptions and enjoyed a special friendship for decades. Arranging flowers for church events and Smoky Mountain Home Health and Hospice patients may have been one of her most fulfilling missions. She could take a variety of flowers and create arrangements to brighten up a person’s day. Several of the employees that visited her during her illness remembered the vases of flowers that she arranged for their patients. She saw beauty and possibilities in all flowers. Her family will remember the special times spent at her home during Thanksgiving and Christmas. Etholeen believed in traditions and her meals carried on this belief. The family would always talk about grandma’s special dishes that she had perfected over the years. The meals had the same menu at each holiday. Grandma believed in traditions. Etholeen was preceded in death by her husband of 66 years, James S. Burchette, Jr.; parents – George and Lala Moles; and four sisters and one brother. She leaves three sons, David, Joe (Sandy), and Dan (Gail). Several grandchildren that knew her as Grandma – Chad (Brooke), Darrin (Jessica), Caitlin, Brad and Andy. Five great grandchildren – Kiersten, Ross, India, Connor and Sadie; sisters Gana, Macleda and Stella; and a very special niece and nephew, Kelli (Ernie) Ling and Sam (Debbie) Crawford. A special thanks to her caregivers – Doris Stinnett, Julie Wilson, Joyce Shoemaker, Pam Vernon and Melinda Mitchell that cared for her with love and compassion. The family will receive friends at Manes Funeral Home on Sunday, July 5, during the hours of 11:00-2:00. Funeral will begin at 2:00 followed by burial in the Union Cemetery. Memorials may be made to First Baptist Church of Newport and Smoky Mountain Home Health and Hospice.

Etholeen Burchette

March 14, 1926 - July 1, 2020