Obituaries – Their Stories Live On

Wellington Odell Burrell, Sr., of Atlanta, GA, formerly of Mt. Hope, WV died Saturday, February 14, 2015.

Born December 12, 1927 in Mount Hope, West Virginia, he was the son of the late Alfonza and Maggie Burrell.

He was a member of the First Baptist Church, Mount Hope and attended churches in Blakely and Atlanta, Georgia.

Wellington graduated from Dubois High School, received a Bachelor of Music Degree from West Virginia State College and studied at Marshall University and Georgia State University.

A United States Army veteran, he served as a Lecturer to troops. While serving in Korea, he became known as the only Forward Observer who could ôdrop a shell into a bucket a mile or two awayö. His reputation led to the General coming up to the front line just to meet him. He was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for outstanding service during the Korean War.

He taught in Adel, Georgia and Quitman, Georgia. He served the Early County School System as Band Director and Assistant Principal. His band participated in many parades in Dothan, Alabama, the Thomasville Rose Parade, Albany State College Homecoming Parades, Dade County, Florida School parades, and numerous high school parades. He was quite proud of his most outstanding student who is First Chair with the Montgomery Symphony. He was also Plant Engineer with the City of Atlanta Bureau of Corrections and Sales Specialist for JC Penney.

Left to cherish precious memories are his wife, Hattie Burrell; daughter, Wendy (Patrick) Thompson of Fayetteville, Georgia; sons, Wellington (Leatha) Burrell, Jr. of Canton, Michigan, Jeffery Burrell and Terrence (Robyn), both of Burrell Atlanta, Georgia, Chad Burrell (Monica), Fayetteville, Georgia.14 grandchildren; 1 great-grandson; brother, John Burrell of Hyattsville, MD; sister, Eunice Fleming of Mount Hope, WV; six sisters- in-law; special cousin, Marvin Kimbrough and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

Funeral service will be 11:00am Saturday February 21, 2015 at the Ben Hill United Methodist Church 2099 Fairburn Road, SW Atlanta, GA 30331. Burial will be Monday, February 23, 2015 at the National Cemetery in Canton, GA. Visitation will be Friday at Alfonso Dawson Mortuary, In 3000 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive S.W, Atlanta, GA 30311

Submitted by Ritchie & Johnson Funeral Parlor, Beckley, WV.