Willie Mae (Gipson) Sappington-Burrows

Willie Mae Sappington Burrows, 84, of Amarillo, TX, passed away on May 11, 2023.

The family will receive guests from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm at Schooler Funeral Home Monday, May 15, 2023.  A memorial service will be held at a later date.

Willie was born in Benonine, Texas, on September 26, 1938, to Wylie “Buster” and Lura Mae Gipson. During her youth, Willie resided in Texola, Oklahoma. She grew up on a cotton farm off Route 66, picking cotton and completing farm chores after school. Despite the back-breaking work, she always remembered those days fondly, recounting memories of her parents, siblings, and simpler times. She played basketball on the Texola High School girls’ team as a high school student, an experience she never forgot. As a young adult, she moved to Amarillo, Texas, where she lived for the rest of her life. Willie married in 1960 at the age of 21. After raising two sons, she became a familiar face at John Chandler Ford, where she worked in customer service until she retired.

After the death of her first husband, Willie found love again when she met Forrest Burrows. Willie and Forrest married in 2013, and they soon discovered a love of travel, especially to their cabin in Eagle Nest, New Mexico—and they enjoyed taking several bus tours around the country. Willie also frequently visited her son in Nevada.

Willie was very strong-willed but had a loving and caring spirit, and there was always a special place in her heart for her pet dogs. She was an avid gardener and excellent cook, and she was known for her delicious dessert recipes, particularly her pecan pie bars. She was quick with her brilliant smile and will be dearly missed by her family, friends, neighbors, and all who knew her.

Willie is preceded in death by her parents; first husband, Johnny Gerald Sappington; two brothers, Neal Gipson, and an infant brother; one son, Mike Lynn Sappington; and two stepsons, Doug Burrows and Kerry Joe Burrows.

She is survived by her husband, Forrest Joe Burrows, of Amarillo; her son, Mark Sappington, and his wife, Jennell, of Boulder City, Nevada; sister, Shirley Tuttle, of Amarillo; grandson, Wesley Sappington; great-granddaughter, Emersyn Sappington; her stepchildren, Rodney and Nancy Burrows, and stepdaughters-in-law, Brenda and Emily Burrows; and seven step-grandchildren and eight step-great-grandchildren.