From Tales & Trails of Bailey County, the First 70 Years, Taylor Publishing Co, Dallas, TX 1988
J. E. "Elmer" Burris and Guirty Orean Jones were married November 30, 1930 in Hollis, Oklahoma. Elmer was born in Pontitac, Oklahoma August 23, 1902. Orean was born in Lafayette, Tennessee April 14, 1915.
They moved from Ardmore, Oklahoma in 1936 to ten miles south of Muleshoe where Elmer farmed and worked for Ray Edwards at Edwards Gin.
Three of their eight children were born in Ardmore: Jean, J. B. (stillborn) and Wanda. J.D. "Sonny," Jonnie Marie, Naomi (deceased), Jackey Lee and Elizabeth "Libby" were all born in Muleshoe.
They moved into Muleshoe in 1942 and Elmer worked full time for Edwards Gin.
Elmer had two brothers and one sister living south of Muleshoe: Monroe, Z. N. "Newt" and Maude (Burris) Crow. They had many good times together.
At the time of Elmer's death on June 17, 1967 he was a custom harvester.
The family loved to get together and sing and play music. Elmer played the fiddle and piano and others played guitars. These were great times. Orean's family lived in Childress and at vacation time the family headed for Grandma and Grandpa Jones.
Jean and Wanda started to school at Fairview, then the school consolidated with Muleshoe. Jean was in the fifth grade, Wanda in the third, and Naomi in the first when they moved to town. All the children attended Muleshoe schools.
Naomi died at fourteen, the others grew up, married in this area, and still reside here.
Jean married Jack Kemp and they have two children, Jackie Jean and Terry. Jackie Jean married George Whatley; they have one son, Kasey. Terry married Debbie Jo Bruns; they have three children, Chanda, Chade and Layne.
Wanda married James Kemp; they have three children, Prisi, Larry and Lena. Prisi married Arne Olsen and lives in Halstead, Kansas. She has two children by a previous marriage, Misti and Marty Ott. Larry married Connie Haney; they have two girls Keisha and Jamie. Lena married Gary Don Gartin; they have two children Black and Britni.
Sonny married Nora Roby; they have two children, Lora and Jackey Wayne. Lora married Veldon Wallace and they have Wayne, Leisha and Corey. Jackey Wayne married Staci Kirby; they have two children, Brandon and Amy.
Jonnie married D. G. "Shorty" Ivy and they have three children; Dewayne, Cami and Lasne.
Jackey Lee married Linda Ruthardt; they have three children, Deena, Donney and Shane. Deena married Jeff Hamilton, and Donney married Jennifer Roper.
Libby married Gaylon Black; they have two boys, Brent and Monty. Orean Burris passed away December 7, 1987.
(Story by Wanda Kemp)