Kathryn Louise Spires Burkett

Kathryn Louise Spires Burkett entered into eternal rest on January 30, 2016 following a brief illness. Kathryn, born April 11, 1929, was the daughter of Drayton and Sara Spires of Cayce, S.C. She attended BC High School where she was Homecoming Queen representing her lifelong sweetheart, Horace Olin Burkett, Jr. She attended Columbia College before she and Horace married in 1949. They were proud parents to Jimmy, Donny, Ronny, Timmy, and Andrea and pursued their dream of raising their children in the country. They moved to their beloved 17 acres in Edmund in 1962. Their home was a place of welcome to all, an endless source of adventure to their children, and the site of countless picnics, fish fries, and family gatherings. Kathryn's boundless energy was devoted to home, family, church, and community. She planted, nurtured, and harvested an acre vegetable garden every summer and proudly canned enough food to feed her family throughout the year. She was a marvelous cook, and her hand gently stirring a bowl of flour into mouth-watering biscuits was a wonder to behold. She served on the Governor's Beautification Board and volunteered with the American Heart Association, American Cancer Society, Little League, Cub Scouts, and PTA. She and Horace also served in many capacities at Cayce United Methodist Church and the Edmund Community Club. Kathryn was devoted to the cause of mental health and was a catalyst in starting the first Lexington County Mental Health Center. She also had an avid interest in politics, volunteering for Strom Thurmond, Floyd Spence, and Ben Carson, among many others, and as a poll watcher and precinct captain. Kathryn and Horace left a legacy to their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren of commitment, faithfulness, and an unfailing knowledge of the difference between right and wrong. We thank them from the bottom of our hearts and proudly carry all they taught us into the future. Kathryn was predeceased by her parents, Drayton and Sara; her husband, Horace; her brothers, Col and Fred Spires; her sister, Margie McNair; brother-in-law, David Burkett; and her granddaughter, Crystal Bradshaw. She is survived by her sister-in-law and spouse, Jeannette Burkett and Owen Livingston and her children and spouses/partners: Jimmy and Debbie Burkett, Donny and Jeannie Burkett, Ronny and Mary Burkett, Tim Burkett and Lance Wilhelm, and Andrea and Bobby Lange. She is survived by grandchildren and spouses/partners: Sarah and Heath Maner, Laura and Zach Moore, Tiffany Burkett, Brandi and Mike Dixon, Michael Burkett and Lisa Walner, Patrick Burkett, Meghan Burkett, Ian and Jenn Burkett, Jesse Bundrick, and Jada Lange. She was blessed with great-granddaughters, Micaiah, Anna, and Alexis Burkett and Charley Dixon, and newborn great-grandson, Ezekiel Burkett. Visitation will be held on Monday, February 1, at Cayce United Methodist Church from 1:30PM to 2:45 PM and followed by services at 3:00PM. Private interment will follow at Southland Memorial Gardens. The family will receive friends at the home of Ronny and Mary Burkett, 87 Holly Ridge Lane, West Columbia, on Sunday afternoon from 2-5PM. Memorials may be made to the Crystal Bradshaw Foundation, 17 Abberton Court, Chapin, SC 29036. The family wishes to thank the special caregivers and residents of Oakleaf Village who were family to Kathryn in her later years. Thompson Funeral Home, State Street Chapel, is handling arrangements.