Heaven gained a beautiful soul on Saturday, July 26, 2025, when Rita Ferne Burns, 82, of Cole Camp, Missouri, passed away peacefully at the Good Samaritan Care Center. She was surrounded by love, leaving behind a legacy of kindness, faith, and unshakable devotion to family.
Born on August 24, 1942, to Benjamin Harrison and Gracie Thelma (Wingard) Hix, Rita's life began on Little Buffalo south of Stover, Missouri. From humble roots came a woman of strength, grace, and enduring love - a guiding light for all who knew her.
As a child, Rita moved with her family to a farm south of Cole Camp, later attending school in Windsor, Ross Creek, and Stover, where she graduated from high school in 1960. She was a natural nurturer from the very beginning, singing in the church choir and shining with quiet joy.
Her love story with William Burns began like a scene from a movie - when he pulled her car from a ditch one night. She returned the kindness with a date to the Osage Theater, and from that moment on, their love grew strong. On September 3, 1960, they were married by Rev. Curtis Wilson at Mt. Calvary Free Will Baptist Church. Together, they raised a beautiful family, shared laughter, and built a life grounded in love and faith.
Rita was the heartbeat of her home, raising her children with gentle strength, fierce loyalty, and a heart that never ran out of room. She also found joy in helping others - selling Sarah Coventry Jewelry and Stanley Home Products and later caring for William during his illness with tender devotion.
In 1970, Rita and William moved to a farm just north of Cole Camp, where she continued her quiet service to others. She became a dispatcher for the Cole Camp Ambulance, serving the community with care and compassion. She also worked for Twin Lakes Hospice, always offering comfort and kindness in life's hardest moments.
Rita lived her faith openly. A lifelong member of the Baptist church, she poured her love into every pew and prayer. Even when health challenges came later in life, she remained deeply rooted in grace and gratitude.
Her heart overflowed with love - for her children, grandchildren, and the many lives she touched. She found joy in the simplest pleasures: bowling in her senior years, representing Missouri at the Senior Nationals in Syracuse, and laughing endlessly on road trips and casino adventures with her sisters. When those four sisters were together, the world lit up.
Rita was magic in human form - a selfless spirit, a quiet encourager, and a beautiful soul who led with love.
She is deeply missed and lovingly remembered by her daughters, Joy Duffe of Warsaw and Gena Strathman (Darryl) of Sedalia; grandchildren, Dara Lynn Zeier (Bill) and Taylor Renee Slayden (Brad); great grandchildren, Elijah and Bo Strathman and Adalyn Craft; her bonus son, Joy's former husband, Ken Duffe; Gloria Berg, Patricia Anderson, Rhonda Vance-Morris, Jessica Suarez, and Janet Ivie; and several nieces and nephews, including Furlon Burnett, Wilma Hazel, Betty Powers, and Kyle Burnett; and extended family who felt the warmth of her heart.
She was welcomed into heaven by her parents, her beloved husband William, her foster daughter Diane, her infant son Rocky, and her cherished siblings - brothers Russell, Ralph, and James, and sisters Rosalie, Ruth, Ruby, and Rena. What a reunion it must have been.
A celebration of Rita's beautiful life will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday, July 30, 2025, at the First Baptist Church in Cole Camp, with visitation beginning at 12:00 p.m. Pastor John Hanson will officiate. She will be laid to rest beside her husband in the First Baptist Cemetery in Cole Camp.
Serving as pallbearers are Danny Cook, Tony Tilman, Elijah Strathman, Bill Davis, Brad Slayden, and William Zeier.
In honor of her faith and giving heart, the family suggests memorial donations to the First Baptist Church in care of the Fox Funeral Home, Cole Camp. Online condolences may be shared at www.foxfuneralhomecolecampm o.com.
