Dixie Jewell (Cottingham) Burkett
Last Updated on September 2, 2024 by Cass County Communication Network
Dixie Jewell (Cottingham) Burkett, 89, of Logansport, passed away Sunday morning, Sept. 1, 2024, at her apartment in Cedar Creek Assisted Living Center.
Dixie was born on July 1, 1935, in Bessemer, Alabama to Horace Arlan Cottingham and Margaret Moore.
As a young teen, she ran away from home and worked her way to Chicago where her sister, Betty, had moved. Not having the means to survive in the big city, she started making her way back to the south by train, stopping in Logansport to find a job to earn more money.
In 1953, shortly after she started working at Woolworth’s soda fountain downtown, a young Army veteran began coming in every day and would quietly sit at the end of the counter for a few minutes before leaving without saying a word or placing an order.
One day, Dixie asked the young man, “Can I get you something, or are you going to just sit there?” He replied, “Well, I reckon I’d like a date, but if I can’t get that, I’ll take a cherry Coke.”
Months later, she married the young veteran — Clifford C. Burkett — and they sat out on a nearly half-century adventure in life together that was filled with joyous memories and bitter arguments, hard work and summer vacations, quiet satisfaction with the family and home they built and more than their fair share of tragedies.
In 1954, their first child, Clifford Arlan, died suddenly less than two months after seemingly being born healthy. Then Ronald (1956) and Mark (1959) were born. Dixie worked several jobs as she and Cliff built their family and home together — The Gossard, the lunch counter at the Bus Depot, the International Order of Eagles, King’s Molded Plastics, Memorial Hospital and Al’s Uncle restaurant to name a few.
Thirteen years later, when they thought their days of raising children were about to end … oops! … their fourth son, Kevin came along.
In the summer of 1995, after 42 years of hard work transforming the old house they bought as newlyweds into one the nicest on the block, a devastating fire completely destroyed their home. In true Cliff and Dixie spirit, they camped in their RV in the backyard while they helped crews rebuild, moving back in just in time to host Thanksgiving dinner.
She lost her sister to cancer in 1989 and her mother in 1998 — both of whom she cared for daily until their passing.
In October 2002, her husband of 49 years lost his brief battle with cancer.
In 2016, her son Mark died unexpectedly at the age of 56. In 2023, her oldest living son Ron passed away after a long struggle with diabetes and long-haul COVID-19 complications at the age of 67. All eight of Clifford’s siblings and each of their spouses preceded Dixie in death. Much of her life was spent caring for those family members — comforting them, bathing them, treating their wounds, singing to them and holding their hands as they took their last breaths. She was a remarkably strong woman with a giving soul and endless compassion.
Dixie loved cooking, gardening and sewing. In later years, she became an avid line dancer. She was affectionately known to many as the Garage Sale Queen and her Fridays during the summer months for many years began with making a pre-dawn breakfast to share with Cliff before they hit the streets together to find a bargain.
But her absolute obsession was her pets — dogs in particular, but she loved all living things.
Dixie is survived by one son, Kevin (Anchal) Burkett of Logansport; one brother, Clem Kelsoe of Missouri; seven grandchildren, Jason Burkett, Robert (Heidi) Burkett, Janelle (Joseph) Hill, Andromida (Jeffrey) Henderson, Andrew Burkett, Macy Burkett and Haley Burkett; several great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.
In addition to her husband, three sons, sister, parents, five brothers-in-law and three sisters-in-law, she was preceded in death by one half-sister and one grandson.
A funeral service celebrating Dixie’s life will be held at 1 p.m. Friday, Sept. 6, 2024, in Fisher Funeral Chapel with Jeff Strite officiating. Visitation will begin at noon prior to the service.
Burial will follow in Ever Rest Memorial Park, next to the handsome Army veteran who never did get that cherry Coke.
Memorial contributions may be made in Dixie’s memory to Pets R Us/Cass County Humane Society.
Condolences can be shared at fisherfuneralchapel.com.