Lawanda Burden

Lawanda Burden, 85, of Cape Girardeau passed away Thursday, May 8, 2014, at the family home.

She was born July 10, 1928, in Harrisburg, Arkansas, to Milton and Bessie Kilgo Aaron. She and Robert Donald Burden were married June 4, 1949, in Hernando, Mississippi. He preceded her in death Dec. 24, 1991.

Lawanda was retired owner and operator of Burden Grocery Store in Whitewater. She attended First Baptist Church in Delta several years. She loved basketball and was one of the best players and received an invitation to play for the Memphis Redhead Women's Basketball Team. Such an invitation was like being asked to play for what we would call the female Harlem Globetrotters.

Survivors include two sons, Donald (Brenda Brinker) Burden of Whitewater and Russel Burden of Tuscaloosa, Alabama; two daughters, Patty Botkin of Oak Ridge and Wendy (William) Way of Cape Girardeau; eight grandchildren; 13 great-grandchildren; and a great-great-grandson.

She was also preceded in death by a grandson, a brother and a sister.

Friends may call after 4 p.m. today at Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Chaffee, Missouri.

The funeral will be at 1 p.m. Saturday at the chapel, with the Rev. Phil Thompson officiating. Burial will be in Proffer Cemetery at Crump.

Online condolences may be made at amick-burnettfuneralchapels.com.