Audrey Rose Burdette
September 1, 1920 – May 6, 2021
Audrey Rose Burdette passed away peacefully at Derby Health and Rehab, 8 months after celebrating her 100th birthday in Derby, Kansas. Audrey Burdette was born on September 1, 1920 in Plains, Kansas to Georgiana and James Powell, growing up in a family of 9 siblings and loved basketball, baseball, horses and Sunday school picnics at the Lake. After moving to Wichita to go to business school, she met her husband Lester and they were married at West Glendale Friends Church October 6, 1940. Audrey and Lester moved to Valley Center in March, 1942 where she lived for 58 years. In 2010, at age 90, she sold the farm and built a home in Mulvane to be close to family.
Audrey was a member of the Park Methodist Church and joined the Kechi Methodist Church when they merged. She was a faithful member and enjoyed Women’s Fellowship, singing in the choir, chairing the rummage sale, Stephens Ministry, and creating the many seasonal banners that hang in the sanctuary. She was also active in the Sunnydale Community, 4-H Clubs and Valley Center school activities. Having grown up playing basketball herself, Audrey loved girls basketball, enjoyed attending games and showed her welcoming spirit when the team came up to her and asked who she belonged to and she replied “All of You!”
Working in Wichita at Rauh’s Interior Designs until she turned 60, she became skilled at making draperies, quilts, upholstery, and many other fabric designs and built her own shop on the farm and continued to have a shop in her house at age 90. Her family and customers loved and cherished her creations.
Throughout her life she was a loving soul who cared deeply about others. She had a gift of getting to know people and remembering little details shared by family and friends. She enjoyed Estes Park family reunions, family meals and celebrations, writing short stories and poems, designing and creating, reading her Bible, finishing off several books each week, watching television church services, and thumbing through her “Grandma B iPad” which had over 2,000 family pictures. This continual addition of pictures kept her connected to her loving family.
Audrey is deeply missed by all who knew her, both near and far. Audrey is preceded in death by her husband Lester Burdette, grandson Gordon Waltner, and daughter Barbara Waltner. She is survived by son-in-law Bob Waltner, daughter Fran Siemens, and son Bob and wife Elaine Burdette; grandchildren and their spouses Pam Waltner, Steve Waltner, James and Kyoko Waltner, Amber and Jud Bachelor, Austin and Tracey Siemens, Karen and Jason Belden, Robyn and Shawn Ramos, Jason and Nicole Burdette; great-grandchildren Hailey and Matthew Waltner, Tyler and Eucaly Waltner, Courtney and Emily Bachelor, Sydney and Trent Siemens, Zachary, Nicholas, and Evan Belden, Mallory and Claire Ramos, Katelyn, Alayna and Jackson Burdette, sister Iola Cadwallader and Powell family cousins.
The Celebration of Life Service will be held Friday July 23 at 10:00 with family greeting time at 9:30 at the Kechi Methodist Church. A memorial has been established with the Television Ministry at the First United Methodist Church of Wichita that Audrey enjoyed while in Derby Rehab.