Funeral services for Elmer Gladney Burchfield, 78, of Leland will be at 11:00 a.m., Thursday, July 18, 2019 at First Baptist Church, Leland. He passed away on Tuesday, July 16, 2019 at Delta Regional Medical Center. Burial will be in the Leland-Stoneville Cemetery. Arrangements are under the direction of Boone Funeral Home, Leland.
Elmer was born in Zama, MS on April 2, 1941 to Archie and Shirley Shoemaker Burchfield. After graduating from Zama High School in 1958, he attended East Central Junior College. In 1963 he earned a B.S. Degree at MS State University and then went on to Stoneville to become Business Manager of Delta Research & Extension Center for 54 years. Before his retirement in 2017 he received the Doris and Louis Wise Support Staff Award for which his dearly loved staff nominated him. In April of 2019 the auditorium in the Charles W. Capps Center was named The Burchfield Auditorium in his honor. Elmer was an avid tennis player and hunter, but he also loved his yard full of roses and being outdoors with his wife Dianne. But most of all Elmer loved the time that he spent with his co workers at DREC who affectionally called him “Papaw”.
He is preceded in death by his parents Archie and Shirley Shoemaker Burchfield from Ethel, MS. His brothers, Donald Burchfield from Convers, Tx and James Burchfield from Stewart, MS.
He is survived by his wife of 54 years Dianne Abraham Burchfield and his beloved “sister in love”, Jane Abraham. He leaves behind his sister Johnnie Brock; brothers Jimmy Mac, Jerry Thomas (JT), Terry Lynn (Cathy), Allen ”Bo”(Betty), Randy(Sharon), and nieces and nephews.
There will be a visitation from 10:00-11:00 a.m., Thursday at the church. In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to First Baptist Church Leland, P. O. Box 286 Leland, MS 38756 or a charity of one’s choice.