Emma Burch

Emma Lucille Burch (Gierisch), age 95, wife of the late Carlon (Stan) Stanford Burch, peacefully met with our heavenly father on Monday, July 30, 2018. Emma was born on November 9, 1922 in Mason, Texas to the late Edmund George Gierisch, Sr. and Elsie Wilhelmine Schneider. Emma spent her childhood to high school days in Mason, Texas. She graduated from Mason High School and was very proud to share that she skipped 3 grades in elementary school. It wasn't long before Emma set out on her own to Baytown, Texas as she was motivated to work and earn her own wages. She worked at Harrison Oil Company, Shell Chemical, and Humble Oil and Refinery. She married Stan on December 4, 1944 and spent some time living in San Francisco in 1945 as he served in the Navy and was stationed in Dutch Harbor, Alaska. Emma's only child, Steven Burch, Sr., was born on June 1, 1949. Stan and Emma enjoyed playing golf and were founding members of Baywood Country Club. Stan passed away on January 22, 1962 after 18 years of marriage to Emma and leaving her a widow at only 40 years old. She next moved with Steven to Pasadena where she still loved to play golf and was known for her excellent cooking skills. She made pie crusts from scratch for her lemon and chocolate pies with homemade meringue. Her grandchildren loved her homemade beignets, rolls, cinnamon rice, and oatmeal cookies. Holidays were her favorite. She made them a festive and formal occasion as Christmas and Thanksgiving dinners were always eaten off her prized china and she made sure at Thanksgiving to have the finest homemade dressing with her turkey that she cooked in a brown bag as the centerpiece on the beautiful table. In the 1970's until 1986, Emma was the manager of Baywood Country Club. That was quite a feat for her to accomplish among the men that were her competition for such a prestigious title. She made sure her grandchildren had a great time swimming in the Olympic size pool at the club, hunting Easter eggs on the putting greens, playing golf, and enjoying amazing dinners in the dining room with Shirley Temples and Roy Rogers as the drinks of choice. Emma enjoyed playing bridge with the ladies at the club and traveling to Sun Valley Idaho for golfing adventures. She worked at a time when a woman's intelligence was underestimated in the workplace. Some of the exact quotes from reference letters she saved read Emma is "particularly adapted for work involving considerable use of mathematics","I am sure is fully capable of performing any duties detailed to a girl", and "at all times I found her to be accurate and efficient in her work, and far above the average girl of her age in intelligence, and poise." Her intelligence carried over to the stock market. She was a wise investor and spent her days watching the stock symbols and prices go across her TV screen. She considered the weekends boring when the market was closed. She kept her mind sharp tracking her stocks and could name them off-hand. In fact, until the day before her stroke (at 95 years old) she was watching the market and giving investment advice to the medical technicians where she lived. Family and friends benefited from her advice. She preferred to give gifts in savings bonds and let her family know the importance of saving and investing. She is preceded in death by her parents, husband, and her son Steven, Sr. who passed away on November 3, 2016. We can only imagine the reunion in heaven for Emma as she was reunited with Stan and Steven, Sr. Emma will be missed by many, but most especially by her four grandchildren who considered caring for their grandmother more than a responsibility, but rather a blessing. At 95 years old, Emma had a wit and smile that will leave an unimaginable void in her surviving grandchildren: granddaughter Stacy Patek and her husband Charles Patek, grandson Steven Burch, Jr. and his wife Stacey Burch, granddaughter Courtney Peavey and her husband Brian Peavey, and granddaughter Ashley Paskett and her husband Marshall Paskett. She is also survived by her great-grandchildren Kasandra Kirbow and husband Luke Kirbow, Kandace Patek, Max Peavey, Daniel Peavey, Dylan Burch, Cameron Burch, Aiden Peavey, Sydney Burch, Harrison Paskett, her namesake Emma Paskett, and one great-great-grandson due in November. Emma was one of ten children and felt so blessed to have a large, amazing family that visited each other often to talk about their German heritage and search for Topaz in Mason. Emma was also preceded in death by her brothers Edmund Gierisch, Jr. and Ernest Gierisch, Sr. and sisters Mary Beam, Willie Mae Benson, and Dorothy Lyons. She is also survived by brothers William Gierisch, Sr., Johnny Gierisch, Sr., Carl Gierisch, Sr., and Dorman Gierisch. She adored her numerous nieces and nephews and was known for providing a place to stay, offering a lending hand, and entertaining with many conversations about family and stocks. There will be a Celebration of Life held Saturday, August 11, 2018 11:00 AM Golfcrest Country Club Heritage Room Emma will be interred with her beloved Stan on Saturday, August 11, 2018 Private graveside service for interment of ashes at: Forest Park Lawndale 6900 Lawndale St. Houston, TX 77023 Officiant: Mayor Scooter Gierisch (nephew)