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Marjorie Jacqueline “Jackie” Burney Hamlyn was born at home in Center Point, TX on January 3rd, 1924, to Clinton Dewitt and Billy Jean Meador Burney. She was the eldest of three children, the others being Clinton Max Burney (Ouida Mitchell and Allene McQuaid), and Guy Meador “Boy” Burney (Betty Lynn Hodges).
When she was 3 years old, they moved to a ranch near Junction which belonged to her Aunt Mamie Huffman, her dad’s sister. Her dad worked on the ranch until it was time for her to start school and they moved back to Center Point. She graduated from Center Point High School in 1941 at the age of 17, there only being 11 grades at that time.
After graduating from high school, she moved to San Antonio to attend San Antonio Business College where she trained to be a secretary. Upon completion of business school, she worked at Camp Stanley which was an armory and ammunition depot during World War II. Later she moved to Dallas and worked for Braniff Airlines as a booking agent.
She then took a job as a school teacher at the Dietert School out on the Divide between Garvin Store and Rocksprings. It was a one room schoolhouse for children in grades 1-8. She had six students of different grades all in the same classroom. While teaching there she lived with the Leinweber family on their ranch. The students she taught were all children of the local ranchers.
Her future husband, John “Johnny” Hamlyn, also grew up in Center Point and graduated from Center Point High School a year ahead of her. Although they had known each other all their lives, they had never dated or shown any interest in each other besides just being friends. Johnny attended Schreiner Institute for a year before joining the Navy and serving as a Radioman aboard a Destroyer in the Pacific Theatre. After the war he attended Rice University in Houston for awhile and then he came back to Center Point. He attended a Christmas party at Jackie’s parents’ house and after the party, Jackie found a small present under the Christmas Tree that had been hidden. It was a bracelet from Johnny to her. That was the first indication she had that he had any interest in her. They started dating then and were married in June of 1947. Johnny had the Mumps when they were married, and they spent their wedding night at her parents’ house in separate beds. They soon made up for lost time though and eventually had six children. They moved then to Kingsville, TX where Johnny graduated with a chemical engineering degree from Texas A&I University.
After graduation, they moved back home to Center Point and he went to work for Edens Implement Co., there being no jobs available at the time for chemical engineers. However, in 1956, he got a job with Celanese Chemical Co. and moved the family, which then included four children, to White Deer, TX between Pampa and Amarillo. While there they added two additional children and then in 1961 they were transferred to Bay City, TX where Celanese was building a new plant.
In 1967, they were transferred to Corpus Christi to work at the Celanese Technical Research Center. Then in 1973 they transferred back to Bay City where Johnny continued working for Celanese until his death in November of 1978. After Johnny passed away, Jackie studied Real Estate, got her license and worked for a short time as a Realtor in Bay City. In 1980, after all six children had moved out on their own, Jackie moved back to Center Point where she lived until she had to go into a nursing home in 2018.
Jackie passed away on February 11, 2023, in the nursing home in Mathis, TX, where she had been a resident since 2018. At the time of her death, she was 99 years, one month and 8 days old. She had lived alone since Johnny’s death in 1978 at the age of 55.
Jackie was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, her siblings and their wives, and one of her sons, Jack Gregory.
She is survived by her children, John Stanley Hamlyn and wife Vanessa, Virginia Lou Bell, Steven Tilford Hamlyn and wife Kay, Martha Lugene Barnett and husband Simion, and Clay Hamlyn. She is also survived by 8 grandchildren, 17 great-grandchildren and one great-great grandchild, as well as numerous nieces and nephews.
Funeral services will be held at the First Baptist Church in Center Point, TX, at 2:00 PM on Saturday, February 18, 2023, with Reverend Mike Watson and Reverend Mike Herrington conducting the services. There will be a graveside service immediately following the church service at the Center Point Cemetery. The ladies of the church will serve a meal for the family and guests in the Fellowship Hall before the service at 12:30.
Pallbearers will be Jonathan Barnett, Todd Pavelka, Ethan Pavelka, Shawn Hamlyn, Harrison Field, Jackson Field, Billy Field and Jacob Worden.
The family would like to extend our sincere thanks to the staff of the Palma Real Transitional Care Center in Mathis, TX for their excellent care during her stay in their facility.
When she was 3 years old, they moved to a ranch near Junction which belonged to her Aunt Mamie Huffman, her dad’s sister. Her dad worked on the ranch until it was time for her to start school and they moved back to Center Point. She graduated from Center Point High School in 1941 at the age of 17, there only being 11 grades at that time.
After graduating from high school, she moved to San Antonio to attend San Antonio Business College where she trained to be a secretary. Upon completion of business school, she worked at Camp Stanley which was an armory and ammunition depot during World War II. Later she moved to Dallas and worked for Braniff Airlines as a booking agent.
She then took a job as a school teacher at the Dietert School out on the Divide between Garvin Store and Rocksprings. It was a one room schoolhouse for children in grades 1-8. She had six students of different grades all in the same classroom. While teaching there she lived with the Leinweber family on their ranch. The students she taught were all children of the local ranchers.
Her future husband, John “Johnny” Hamlyn, also grew up in Center Point and graduated from Center Point High School a year ahead of her. Although they had known each other all their lives, they had never dated or shown any interest in each other besides just being friends. Johnny attended Schreiner Institute for a year before joining the Navy and serving as a Radioman aboard a Destroyer in the Pacific Theatre. After the war he attended Rice University in Houston for awhile and then he came back to Center Point. He attended a Christmas party at Jackie’s parents’ house and after the party, Jackie found a small present under the Christmas Tree that had been hidden. It was a bracelet from Johnny to her. That was the first indication she had that he had any interest in her. They started dating then and were married in June of 1947. Johnny had the Mumps when they were married, and they spent their wedding night at her parents’ house in separate beds. They soon made up for lost time though and eventually had six children. They moved then to Kingsville, TX where Johnny graduated with a chemical engineering degree from Texas A&I University.
After graduation, they moved back home to Center Point and he went to work for Edens Implement Co., there being no jobs available at the time for chemical engineers. However, in 1956, he got a job with Celanese Chemical Co. and moved the family, which then included four children, to White Deer, TX between Pampa and Amarillo. While there they added two additional children and then in 1961 they were transferred to Bay City, TX where Celanese was building a new plant.
In 1967, they were transferred to Corpus Christi to work at the Celanese Technical Research Center. Then in 1973 they transferred back to Bay City where Johnny continued working for Celanese until his death in November of 1978. After Johnny passed away, Jackie studied Real Estate, got her license and worked for a short time as a Realtor in Bay City. In 1980, after all six children had moved out on their own, Jackie moved back to Center Point where she lived until she had to go into a nursing home in 2018.
Jackie passed away on February 11, 2023, in the nursing home in Mathis, TX, where she had been a resident since 2018. At the time of her death, she was 99 years, one month and 8 days old. She had lived alone since Johnny’s death in 1978 at the age of 55.
Jackie was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, her siblings and their wives, and one of her sons, Jack Gregory.
She is survived by her children, John Stanley Hamlyn and wife Vanessa, Virginia Lou Bell, Steven Tilford Hamlyn and wife Kay, Martha Lugene Barnett and husband Simion, and Clay Hamlyn. She is also survived by 8 grandchildren, 17 great-grandchildren and one great-great grandchild, as well as numerous nieces and nephews.
Funeral services will be held at the First Baptist Church in Center Point, TX, at 2:00 PM on Saturday, February 18, 2023, with Reverend Mike Watson and Reverend Mike Herrington conducting the services. There will be a graveside service immediately following the church service at the Center Point Cemetery. The ladies of the church will serve a meal for the family and guests in the Fellowship Hall before the service at 12:30.
Pallbearers will be Jonathan Barnett, Todd Pavelka, Ethan Pavelka, Shawn Hamlyn, Harrison Field, Jackson Field, Billy Field and Jacob Worden.
The family would like to extend our sincere thanks to the staff of the Palma Real Transitional Care Center in Mathis, TX for their excellent care during her stay in their facility.