Obituary of Lyda Arnold Burnett

Lyda Arnold (L.A.) Burnett, age 94 of Idabel passed away on Tuesday, November 11, 2014 at Idabel. He was born to John Carson Burnett and Carrie Blanch Barnes Burnett on April 1, 1920 in Marion, NC. L.A. was a veteran of the US Army Air Corp and served during WWII. He was an instructor and worked in the training of B-24 bomber crews. L.A. was injured in a training exercise and was receiving treatment of his injuries when he met his wife Ruby who was a nurse in the Army Air Corp. They were married in 1946 in San Antonio, Texas. They raised a family and shared many wonderful years together until her death in 2010. After their military service they moved to McCurtain County, OK where Ruby was from. L.A. operated a tree farm near Shinewell for over 55 years, it is the oldest existing in Oklahoma and he was named Oklahoma Statewide Outstanding Tree Farmer of the Year for 2009. L.A. was affiliated with the Friendship Baptist Church. He was a loving and devoted husband, father, grandfather, friend and he will be greatly missed. He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Ruby; grandson, David Arnold Burnett; brothers Clarence Burnett, Finley Burnett, David Burnett, twins, Paul R and John Silas Burnett, James Russell Burnett and John Carson (JC) Burnett; sisters, Annie Lowery, Ruth Lewis and Edith Kathleen Chapman; and special cousin, Mattie Burnett. L.A. leaves to cherish his memory; sons and daughter-in-law, Robert Carson Burnett of Sulphur, OK and John David and Henrietta Burnett of Idabel; daughter, Jeanne Ruth Burnett Vave of Honolulu, HI: a sister, Nell Altha Hessemer of The Villages, Florida; grandchildren, Jamie Dawn Heard and husband, Corbin of Stillwater, OK and Burnett Efitu Vave of Honolulu, HI; great-grandson, David Oliver Heard of Stillwater, OK; numerous nieces, nephews, other relatives and a host of friends. Services will be held at 11:00 am on Saturday, November 15, 2014 at the White Family Chapel with Rev. Oscar Wilkie officiating. Interment to follow at the Denison Cemetery with Military Honors. The family will receive friends from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm on Friday, November 14, 2014 at the funeral home.