French Inez BURT

     
     French Inez BURT was born on 26 January 1914 in Cedar Grove, Bibb County, Alabama, daughter of Irby Leon BURT and Birdie Clyde WATTS. French Inez BURT also referred to among her brothers and sisters by the name of Betty.
     French Inez BURT appeared on a census, enumerated 1 June 1920, in the household of Irby Leon BURT and Birdie Clyde WATTS in Scottsville, Bibb County, Alabama.¹
     French Inez BURT appeared on a census, enumerated 15 April 1930, in the household of Irby Leon BURT and Birdie Clyde WATTS in Beat 2, Bibb County, Alabama.² In 1940 French Inez BURT lived in Centreville, Bibb County, Alabama.
     French married John Kennedy BROWN, son of Francis Horatio BROWN and Frances May ABNEY, on 6 September 1943 in Belview Heights Presbyterian Church, Birmingham, Jefferson County, Alabama. Their wedding announcement reads: "Miss French Burt and John K. Brown, of Maplesville, Ala., were married at 8:30 Wednesday, Sept. 6, at the parsonage of Belview Heights Presbyterian Church with Dr. J. Allen Anderson officiating. Only members of the immediate family were present. The bride wore a soldier blue suit and her flowers were in a shoulder corsage. After a wedding trip, Mr. Brown returned to Davisville, R. I., where he is stationed with U. S. Navy and the bride will return to Centerville where she is employed."³ She was secretary to Francis B. Pratt, superintendent of Bibb County Board of Education on 13 September 1944 in Centreville, Bibb County, Alabama.
     French Inez BURT witnessed the obituary of George Edsel BURT on 12 April 1945 in the "Centreville Press". The article read: "Pfc. GEORGE BURT KILLED IN ACTION: Pfc. George E. Burt, son of Mr. and Mrs. I. L. Burt, of West Blocton, was killed in action in the service of his country, crossing the Rhine March 4th [sic], 1945. He was a graduate of West Blocton High School and entered the service in 1943. He was serving as a paratrooper and flew from England on January 1st, with the 17th Airborne Division. He was survived by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. I. L. Burt, of West Blocton, four sisters, Mrs. John K. Brown, Oxnard, Calif., Mrs. Kenneth Dale, Praco, Ala., Mrs. Earl J. Kilby, Woodville, Va., and Wynelle Burt, West Blocton, Alabama; and four brothers, Mallory M. Burt, Great Lakes, Illinois; Vincent, Vernon [sic] and Billy Burt, of West Blocton.⁴
     French Inez BURT witnessed the obituary of Mallory McCoy BURT on 2 February 1999 in the "Birmingham News". It read: "Mallory McCoy Burt, age 77, of West Blocton, died Sunday, January 31, 1999. Funeral services will be Wednesday, February 3; at 11 AM at Rockco's Funeral Home, Centreville with burial in Southern Heritage Cemetery, Pelham. Visitation will be Tuesday, February 2, 6 PM until 8 PM. Survivors: wife, Johnnie Ruth Harrison Burt of West Blocton; son, Mallory Dan Burt of Birmingham; daughters, Landra Marlene Jennings of Oneonta and Owanna Ruth Victory of Charlotte, NC; brothers, Vincent A. Burt and Varner L. Burt, both of West Blocton; sisters, French B. Brown of Prattville, Ferry B. Dale of Adamsville, and Wynell B. Welch of Gadsden; eight grandchildren and two great grandchildren. Rockco's Funeral Home of Centreville directing."⁵
     French Inez BURT died on 21 June 2002 in Prattville Baptist Hospital, Prattville, Alabama, at age 88. She was buried in Prattville Memorial Gardens.
     Her obituary appeared 23 June 2002 in the "Montgomery Advertiser": French Burt Brown, 88, a resident of Prattville, AL, died on Friday, June 21, 2002 at a local hospital. Funeral services will be held on Monday, June 24, 2002 at 1:00 p.m., from the First United Methodist Church, with Dr. Gorman Houston, Reverend Ed Henne, and Reverend Gail Baughman officiating. Burial will follow in Prattville Memorial Gardens with Prattville Memorial Chapel directing. Mrs. Brown was preceded in death by her parents, Irby Leon Burt and Birdie Watts Burt, and her belovd husband, John Kennedy Brown, Sr. She is survived by her one son, John Kennedy Brown, Jr., Prattville, AL; two sisters, Ferry Dale, Adamsville, AL and Wynell Welsh, Gadsden, AL and two brothers, Vincent Burt and Varner Burt, both of West Blocton, AL. Pallbearers will be Larry Owens, Bill Boykin, A. V. Welsh, Billie Burt, Kyle Burt, Keith Burt and Kendall Burt. Honorary pallbearers will be members of the Myrtis Rice Sunday School Class. In lieu of flowers, memory donations may be sent to the First United Methodist Church, c/o the Building Fund, 100 East Fourth Street, Prattville, AL 36067. The family will receive friends at Prattville Memorial Chapel on Monday morning prior to the service from 11:00 a.m. until 12:30 p.m..