Mary Burgess Kitts

Mary Burgess Kitts died at her home in Bluefield, VA on February 15^th at the age of 91.  Born on October 27, 1928 in Pulaski, VA, she was the daughter of the late Mae and Lawrence Burgess.  She spent most of her childhood in Mullens, WV and attended Mullens High School.  She graduated from high school at the Emmanuel Academy in Franklin Springs, GA and also attended Emmanuel College there for one year.  Through the tragedy of losing her only brother, Sonny, as a Marine on Iwo Jima in World War II, followed by the sudden death of her father, Mary had to drop out of college to become the sole support of her mother and her younger sister, Dorothy.  Her small family of three moved to North Tazewell, VA to be near relatives, and Mary began work as a bookkeeper for the Riverjack Supermarket, where she met her future husband, Howard Kitts.

Mary and Howard were married in 1949 at the Pisgah Methodist Church in Tazewell, VA and lived in North Tazewell where they raised their two daughters until the family moved to Bluefield, VA in the summer of 1965.  In Bluefield, Mary worked in the offices of Leggett Department Store, Fairmont Foods, and Flowers Baking Co.  After retiring in 1990, she volunteered for four years at Bluefield Regional Hospital.  When Sam’s Club opened in town, she returned to work as a Food Demonstrator, serving food samples to many of its customers.  Mary never met a stranger, so she became friends with many of the townspeople during those years.

Mary was a member of First United Methodist Church in Bluefield, VA where she served on the Nurture/Care Committee and as an assistant teacher to the Wayfarers Sunday School Class.  She was also a frequent and beloved devotions leader at the Martha Circle, presenting her insights on various women in the Bible. 

In addition to her parents, Mary was preceded in death by her husband, Howard, in 2002; her sisters, Dorothy Crabtree, Hazel Stewart, and Geneva Burgess; and her brother, Eugene “Sonny” Burgess.

Mary is survived by daughter, Debby White and her husband, Calvin of Smyrna, GA; daughter, Karen Woody and her husband, Fred of Bluefield, VA; grandchildren Amy White Ziegler and her husband, Josh; Jason Woody and his wife, Pam; Jeremy Woody and his wife, Kara;  great granddaughters Anna Woody, Sophie Woody, and Lucy Ziegler.

The service to celebrate Mary’s life will be held on Saturday, February 22^nd  at 1:00 PM at the First United Methodist Church of Bluefield, VA and officiated by the Rev. Jay Ferguson.  The family will receive visitors at the church from 11 a.m. until the service begins at 1 p.m.  Burial will follow at Grandview Memorial Gardens in Bluefield, VA.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions be made to the First United Methodist Church of Bluefield, VA.

Assisting the family is Cravens-Shires Funeral Home of Bluefield, WV.