Leo Burgess was born on September 25, 1917 in Stephens County, Ga. to the late Claude Hendrix Burgess and Maude Alice Pulliam Burgess.
He married the late Emily Louise Hemphill Burgess on June 21, 1941. They raised four children: Louise, Sandra, Ted, and Stephen. Leo attended the Big A and Union Hill Elementary Schools and Eastanollee High School in Stephens County. He graduated from Young Harris College in December 1938. Leo had a great love and fond memories of Young Harris College. He attended Piedmont College and transferred to Mercer University and received his B.A. degree in 1941. While in graduate school, Leo served as a teacher in the Georgia Public School System. Leo also served many years (1941-1954) as Principal throughout Georgia’s public education system. He received his Master of Divinity degree from Candler School of Theology at Emory University in 1957.
Leo was a member of the Young Harris Debating Society and the Ministerial Association. He was a member of the Protropean Literacy Society at Piedmont College. Leo was an esteemed member of the Ministerial Association and Kappa Phi Kappa fraternity at Mercer University.
Leo was ordained as a Baptist Minister in the Liberty Hill Baptist Church in Stephens County on November 30, 1941. He served in the Baptist denomination from 1941- 1952. He was received into the North Georgia Conference of the Methodist Church as a Probationary member in 1954. He received his Deacon orders on June 25, 1956 and Elders orders on June 21, 1957. He was received into the conference as a full time minister on June 4, 1957. Leo was granted all the powers and privileges offered to a member of the Methodist denomination. He served the following appointments in the North Georgia Conference for thirty years: Suwanee First United Methodist Church (Suwanee); Sugar Hill United Methodist Church (Buford); Rock Spring United Methodist Church (Rock Spring); Tallapoosa First United Methodist Church (Tallapoosa); Dallas First United Methodist Church (Dallas); Trinity United Methodist Church (LaGrange); Pierce Memorial United Methodist Church (Augusta); Warrenton First United Methodist Church (Warrenton); Silvertown United Methodist Church and Zion Chapel United Methodist Church (Thomaston); and County Line United Methodist Church (Cobb County).
Upon his retirement from active ministry in 1984, Reverend Burgess and his wife moved to Fayetteville, Ga. to serve as a Minister of Visitation with the Fayetteville First United Methodist Church for fifteen months.
Pop Burgess was the best comedian of his time. In many conversations, he would have you laughing so hard! His joke delivery was like a prize fighter’s punch – you didní’ know it was coming until you had already been hit!
Leo was preceded in death by his wife Emily of 72 years and daughter Sandra Gail Burgess King. Also preceded in death were his one brother Frank Ray, two sisters Frances Josephine Burgess Rumsey and Barbara Claudine Burgess Rice, all of Stephens County, Ga.
He leaves to cherish his memory one daughter, Louise Burgess Leachman of Dallas, Ga.; two sons, Ted (Delvonnie) Burgess of Fayetteville, Ga.; and Stephen (Kathleen) Burgess of Nashville, Tenn.; two brothers-in-law Frank (Frances) Hemphill of Toccoa, Ga.; Fred (Barbara) Hemphill of Gillsville, Ga. and one sister-in-law Jonell Hemphill Cash of Watkinsville, Ga.; six grandchildren: Wesley (Bobbi), Daniel (Kathy), Clara (Neal), Timothy (Kim), Sarah Ann (Talton), and Kelly (John); 12 great-grandchildren; and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.
The funeral service was held on Saturday, January 3, 2015 at 11 a.m. at Sunshine United Methodist Church, 300 Sunshine Church Road, Toccoa, Ga. Reverend Ed Johnson Jr. officiated. The family received friends at Mowell Funeral Home, Fayetteville on Friday, January 2, 2015.
Carl J. Mowell & Son Funeral Home, Fayetteville – www.mowellfuneralhome.com
