Janelle Burford

Funeral services for Janelle Derrick Burford, 88, will be held at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, June 9, 2018 at Gloster Baptist Church with Brother Ron McLellan officiating. Interment will follow in Trinity Cemetery in Gloster, LA. Visitation will be held from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Friday, June 8, 2018 at Rose-Neath Southside Chapel. Janelle was born December 16, 1929 in Mansfield, LA to William and Bertha Mae Derrick and went to be with the Lord on June 4, 2018 in Shreveport. She was very active in the church. She began singing and playing piano for churches at 14 years old and spent 52 years as pianist for Gloster Baptist Church. For the last three years, she played for the chapel at Montclair Retirement Center. Janelle also taught Sunday school, Vacation Bible School, and women's classes. She has gone over 50 foreign mission and numerous statewide trips in her life. She had the special love of Jesus Christ that led her to hand out a gospel tract wherever she went. She was an avid bird watcher and enjoyed writing short stories. She went back to college to study creative writing and had at least one story published. Above all, she loved her family. Later in life, she liked to go on day trips to see the "great-grands" as she called them. Janelle was preceded in death by her husband, John G. Burford, Jr.; son, Michael Derrick Burford, Sr.; sister, Anise Derrick Smith; and brother, William J. Derrick, Jr. Left to cherish her memory are her sons, John G. Burford III, MD, and Robert G. Burford, Sr.; daughter, Janelle Burford Richardson; nine grandchildren; ten great-grandchildren; brother, Kenneth Derrick; and numerous nieces and nephews. Honoring Janelle as pallbearers will be Derrick Burford, Jr., Cody Burford, Sr., John Burford IV, Robert Burford, Jr., Richard Lee, and Kevin McDonald. Honorary pallbearers will be her great-grandsons. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the International Mission Board or the Michael Derrick Burford Scholarship through Gloster Baptist Church or to the church of donor's choice.