(Bill & Shirley, photo from JeriAnna Conner)
This past Friday, May 30, was a perfect tribute to Bill Burden. Well, almost perfect considering it was originally scheduled for April 4 but had to be cancelled because of the hundred-year-flood we recently experienced.
I was glad to see Bill’s daughters Connie Tooley and Kris Martin in the audience to see how loved and appreciated their father was.
Even though it was almost two months late, the tribute was heartwarming. Friends and family came to speak and sing to memorialize Bill’s life and specifically his contributions to The Rosine Barn Jamboree.
Bill’s fiancé Shirley Lindsey arranged the agenda and emceed the tribute.
The first order of business, though, was to place Bill and Shirley’s nameplates on the Wall of Fame. Theirs are the first two to be added.
(photo from Dennis Cook)
Shirley spoke of her own love and admiration for Bill and then introduced several speakers, like Ohio County Judge Executive David Johnston, former County Court Clerk Les Johnson, former 5th District Magistrate Kenny Autry(Dad), and current Ohio County Tourism Director Jody Flener.
(Judge Johnston, pic from Dennis Cook)
After the speakers came the singing. Shirley’s brother Terry Lindsey was first.
(Terry Lindsey, pic from Dennis Cook)
Next, Ed Edwards and Darrell “Bigfoot” Madison sang.
(Ed and Bigfoot, pic from Dennis)
Others sang, too, like Bill’s “favorite” niece Kathy Taylor. Marty Hays sang “I Haven’t Seen Mary in Years” because it was one of Bill’s favorites.
For me, I sang “Unclouded Day,” not because that particular song was special to Bill, but because he often asked me to come up and sing a gospel song.
The song says “they tell me of a place where my friends have gone…”
The place is Heaven and I believe my friend Bill Burden has gone there. I look forward to meeting him there someday.
