May 29, 1943 - February 10, 2009
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Mr. Freddie Joe Burwell, 65, of Bartlesville, died at 12:24 P.M. Tuesday at the Forrest Manor Nursing Home in Dewey.
Funeral services for Mr. Burwell will be held at 10 A.M. Friday at the Bartlesville Southern Baptist Church with Pastor Paul Rummage officiating. Interment will be in the Memorial Park Cemetery under the direction of the Stumpff Funeral Home & Crematory.
Casket escorts will include Jordan Alexander, Travis Alexander, Cody Cabler, Dean Burwell, Roy Hemphill, and Merle Smith. Honoray casket escorts will include Bob Harper, J.W. Morgan, Merl Lindstrom and Larry Selby.
Mr. Burwell was born in Picher, Oklahoma on May 29, 1943 to Willie Ted Burwell and Jossie Lee (Clinton) Burwell. Fred spent most of his early childhood in Tahlequah, OK before moving to Bartlesville during his high school years. He graduated from College High School in 1961. He married Carol (lacey) Burwell on May 3, 1963 and they made their home in Nowata, OK where Fred was employed by the City of Nowata as a police officer and assistant fire chief. In March of 1968, they moved their family to Bartlesville where Fred was employed with the Phillips Petroleum Research Center. After 32 years of service, he retired on September 30, 2000. During his retirement he continued his hobby of woodworking and volunteered often for Habitat for Humanities. During his life, he enjoyed woodworking, fishing, hunting, motorcycles, golf, and spending time, with his family and friends. Fred was a loving husband, caring father and proud grandfather. He was preceded in death by his father Willie Ted Burwell, and his mother Jossie Lee Hemphill (Burwell).
He is survived by his wife, Carol Burwell; two daughters, Teri and her husband Phil Alexander of Bartlesville and Vicki and her husband, Phil Cabler of Bartlesville, and four grandchildren Jordan and wife Nikki Alexander, Travis Alexander, Cody Cabler, and Kessi Cabler all of Bartlesville. He is also Survived by two brothers, Dean Burwell of Catoosa and Roy Hemphill of Sand Springs, three sisters, Thelma Ledbetter of the Kansas City area, Joyce Reana Walker of Coffeyville, Kansas, and Mary Denny of Cave Springs, Arkansas, his step-father, Jesse Hemphill of Sand Springs, and a step-sister and step-brothers including Charlie Hemphill of Nowata.
Memories:
| Fred was such a part of the Lindstrom Family. The kids grew up with him as their Uncle Fred. He was like a big brother to Merl - he was Merl's closest and dearest friend who he confided in, asked for advice, needed his opionion, his fishing buddy, his wood cutting buddy. They built horse barns, poured cement, built fences, finished buildings, so many projects they did together. Fred was the first one called if anything was needed. When Merl would travel who was there to make sure everything was okay with me and the kids? Fred. Always. He was as good a man as there was. He was the most honest, hard working, give a person the shirt off his back guy that we will ever know and have the priviledge of calling friend. We have so many memories. Every one of them good. I feel honored to have several pieces of furniture that Fred made for us. They will be pieces of furniture that will last forever and handed down to our children and grandchildren. Fred's workmanship was second to none. A true gift.
Our prayers are for all of you. Thank you Carol for sharing Fred with us. We love him and we miss him. We were blessed that he came into our lives. When we moved to Oklahoma and away from our families. God made sure Fred came into our lives to give us family here. Thank you Fred for always being there for us. We know you are at peace and whole again. We know you are in heaven. We take comfort in that, but we miss you. Cheryl |
| Bartlesville Area Habitat for Humanity will always be grateful to Fred for the beautiful kitchen and bathroom cabinets that he built for several of our families. All of them were very nice, but one set in particular was very elegant. I believe that he was building cabinets for a fancy home and built the cabinets for Habitat the same way with crown molding and raised-panel doors. Another time, we had college students working with us on Spring break. The cabinets for that job were being finished outside on sawhorses and a hot wind was blowing. I was worried that dry grass would stick to the varnish. Fortunately, it was drying so fast that I almost didn't have to worry! A third set of Fred's cabinets is in the home of a client who is now on our Board. This set had the only mistake that Fred made for us--the cabinets were a little bit too long to fit into the space available! It was with great reluctance that I trimmed one end down with a Skil saw. Fortunately, you can't tell where that was.
Fred's cabinets brightened the lives of several Habitat families and saved them significant amounts of money. It was always pleasant dealing with Fred. We mourn his passing.
Roger Fenstermaker
Chair, Building Committee |
| Fred was always willing to lend a helping hand or impart his knowledge to help me out. When I was in Borger setting up a certification lab or after I left the company and was involved in a small plastics operation in Dewey, Fred was always open to helping me get my lab equipment calibrated and supplying me with materials to run round robin tests with his lab.
Fred would stop by the lab on his way home from work to help me out and never asked anything in return.
Dennis Schultz
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| Fred was a great man and I will always cherish the memories I have of "helping" him and my dad load and split wood, fishing, and work around the yard. He had a great sense of humor and for that he fit right in with our family. He will always be my Uncle Fred and he will always be missed. Erin Lindstrom |
| Fred will always be remembered and never forgotten. His warm smile and laugh will be forever etched on Mary’s and I’s hearts. He was like a brother we always wanted. The last project we worked on was our retirement home in Grove Oklahoma. When I told him we bought a lot on the water, we took him over to see it and he said it was beautiful and “let’s get to work” (one of his many sayings). So he unselfishly helped us to build it and didn’t quit until it was almost completely finished. He spent time finishing the inside of the fishing dock (which was done first) and we fished each time we were there. All during the construction phase he helped and provided his insight which helped to complete it in a timely and efficient manner. When we started on the cabinets we bought oak at a sawmill in Spavinaw. He would look for oak that had worm holes in it which he called “giving the grain more character”. We would saw, plane and shape the oak until he was satisfied it was perfect for the task at hand. We would be very dusty when finished but we didn’t mine because the aroma of the sawn oak seemed to be mesmerizing. He would stand and gaze at the finished piece and would say “that’s just gonna set that room off” and he was always right. Some would say that Fred was a “Master Carpenter “and I couldn’t agree more. However, he had a talent that most people can only wish they had and few can understand. Fred could build a memory and a relationship using wood. He was so unselfish and dedicated to his family and friends. We will truly miss him. And not to be forgotten is Carol, Fred’s wife. Thank you Carol for sharing Fred. Fred and his family will always hold a special place in our hearts.
Larry and Mary Selby
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