Harold Burton

On March 5, 2026, Harold went peacefully to his heavenly home surrounded by his family—Jo (his wife of 57 years), daughter Natalie, and son Scott, who had lovingly cared for him especially in this last year of life at home.

He was born February 7, 1941, to Clyde and Loretta Burton in St. James, Missouri. He gave his life to the Lord at age 9 in a town revival at the high school. His parents both followed him down the aisle to also commit their lives to Jesus. Clyde served as the town’s first postal carrier, while Loretta raised him and his four sisters, Kay, Jean, Shirley, and Bonnie at home. Before school, Harold worked at the post office beginning at age 12; after school, he delivered the town newspaper. He also mowed yards and helped his grandpa at the MFA. These jobs helped him sharply clothe himself and enabled him to buy gifts for his family at his beloved Christmastime. Later he worked with highway construction on I-44, in the Kansas hay fields, and in the service department of Hutcheson Ford.

From his early years, he excelled at many sports that involved a ball: baseball, basketball, fast pitch softball, bowling, and golf. He grew to be 6’4”, and his height and skill provided an opportunity for a full basketball scholarship to Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar, Missouri. His high scoring helped the team advance to the national tournament for the first time in school history—one of his proudest accomplishments. At the tournament, scouts from bigger universities recruited him, but the Lord led him to stay at SBU. At SBU, he had made lifelong friends, fell in love with his wife Jo, and solidified his life’s foundation in Christ. The university later gave him the honor of the Life Service Award and inducted him into their Athletic Hall of Fame for basketball. After his collegiate career, he refereed high school basketball for over 17 years (along with mentoring other referees), bowled a perfect 300 game, hit three holes-in-one, and played on a traveling fast pitch softball team.

He worked faithfully for State Farm Insurance for over 40 years, spending most of those years at the corporate office in Bloomington, Illinois. The company also placed our family in Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas. He was also committed to serving as an usher and deacon at Eastview Christian Church and Calvary Baptist Church in Normal, Illinois.

2025 brought us back to “God’s Country”--Missouri. Dementia robbed him of experiencing life in the way he often dreamed; however, the Lord designed the way for him to remain at home, cared for by his children.

Sharing grief for his passing are his wife, Jo; his children, Natalie and Scott; his sisters Kay Mayberry, Shirley Derryberry, and Bonnie (Kevin) Taylor; his sisters-in-law Janey (John) Childers and Joni Appleton; and many cousins, nieces, nephews, and dear friends. In Heaven, he was welcomed by his parents; his parents-in-law John and Willette Heuer; his sister Jean Clark; his brothers-in-law Charles Mayberry, Larry Clark, Mike Derryberry, and Max Appleton.

Harold chose not to have a memorial service, as he felt celebrated throughout a wonder-filled life of travel, sports, friends, family, and church involvement. As you remember him, please smile, laugh, and lift up his family in prayer as we walk the rest of our road here without him. In place of flowers, please consider giving to SBU, St. James, MO High School sports, St. Jude, or The Wounded Warrior Project.

We are thankful for his great character, his protection, and his example of service; his dedicated involvement in our lives consistently reflected God’s love. Psalm 139:16