Doris Jean Burrow

Doris Jean Burrow was a modest woman, quiet and observant in her ways. She was trustworthy and traditional in her approach to her life and in her relationships. She was tough-minded with the kind of “stick to it” attitude that earned the respect of all who knew her. She was also a woman who was meticulous, carefully disciplined, and orderly in virtually everything she undertook. Realistic about life, she was always at the ready, prepared to take on responsibility.

Her parents were Jesse, Ruby McAlister and Oma McAlister. Doris was raised in San Joaquin Valley, California. She was brought up to be self-confident and dependable. These were traits that would serve her well throughout her life.

Growing up in the Burrow household was a bit different than most homes. There were good times to be had, but just as often there was a fair share of challenges as well. However, Doris was able to work through the usual family problems when they appeared, and she was the one person in the family who seemed able to keep the stress at bay. Doris was raised with one sibling, Wanda Lee Tanenbaum. Doris was constantly involved in activities with her brothers and sisters. Doris and her siblings may have had the typical rivalries while growing up but Doris was always consistently loyal to her family.

As a young child, Doris was never someone who needed to be the center of attention. She wasn’t pushy and never forced her way into games or other activities. Doris developed a variety of interests, though, and the things she enjoyed doing she did well. She was always curious about the world around her and was often eager to explore it. In her spare time she liked reading. However, what Doris enjoyed most was simply playing and spending time with her many friends.

While her teachers and even her friends generally thought of Doris as being a serious person, she managed to have a pretty good time in high school as she made that critical transition from adolescence to adulthood. She graduated from Taft Union High School, Taft, California in 1958. She enjoyed some courses more than others, having favorite classes and teachers. Her favorite class in high school was Biology. The teacher she enjoyed learning from the most was Mrs. Land. Doris was a very logical person who enjoyed learning about factual information. Using her exceptional memory, she was able to learn much through observation. Doris always seemed to have a command of the facts and was able to make it seem as though she could easily master any problem that might be presented to her.

College life brought with it a new set of challenges, but Doris handled them well. Being a critical thinker who always remained intellectually independent, Doris was able to focus on the task at hand in order to complete her class work. She seemed to thrive on college reading assignments, something that often bogged down her classmates. Doris was able to read the material and retain the information in a way that impressed her fellow classmates. The ability to efficiently complete the task at hand was a skill that served Doris well during her college experience. She also pursued graduate school, earning her LVN.

On August 15, 1958 Doris exchanged wedding vows with Jim Pat burrow at there Home in Taft, California. Compassionate and devoted to Jim, Doris held endearing, traditional values about marriage and family life. She took the responsibility of marriage to heart, giving it her total commitment. She was a source of strength to Jim and using her gifts at nurturing one-on-one relationships, she worked hard to make her new family happy.

Doris brought the same traditional values in her marriage to bear on how she raised her children. She was a good parent to them, always firm yet fair in her dealings. She would always listen carefully and think things through before she acted, even when it was an adverse situation. Doris was also a walking schedule, always seeming to know what everyone in the family needed to do, where they needed to be and when they needed to be there. Doris was blessed with three daughters Ruth, Barbara and Karen.

Doris greatly enjoyed what she did for a living. She was a hard worker who expected the same in return from her co-workers. She was skilled at working effectively in small groups and in one-on-one situations as well as handling solo assignments efficiently. Doris enjoyed dealing with concrete ideas and could penetrate any amount of fuzzy information to reach the essential facts. Always able to attend to the task at hand, Doris was excellent at meeting deadlines. She was an efficient worker, one who paid careful attention to detail, allowing sufficient time to complete one task before moving on to the next. Her primary occupation was nurse. She was employed for 37 years. Doris worked hard to be a team player, doing what was necessary in order to get the job done.

Doris liked to experience things first-hand as well as learn about them. This trait carried over into her hobbies, where she was very methodical in how she organized her activities and categorized things. Since she enjoyed her private time, Doris always tried to allocate a specific time for working on her hobbies. Her favorite pursuits were sewing and reading. Doris was content to enjoy her hobbies alone but was also willing to share her interests with others.

Many organizations were grateful to have Doris as a member, since she always brought with her a “stick to it” attitude and a high degree of common sense. Using straightforward methods to successfully complete the job, Doris was a great planner who was incredibly well organized. It seemed that she was able to schedule any event or activity with ease. She always seemed to know exactly what needed to be done. In high school, Doris was a member of the Future Nurses.

Doris enjoyed traveling and taking vacations. Since she was an early starter and had a knack for planning everything, traveling with Doris appeared effortless. She enjoyed researching all of her examined options and applying cost-effective planning techniques. Plus, no matter where she traveled, Doris always had a back up plan at the ready, just in case. Favorite vacations included driving anywhere.

Doris was a lover of animals and cherished her pets. One of Doris’s favorites were her two cats, Sprocket and Gingersnap. They were best friends for three years.

When Doris’s retirement finally arrived in 2007, she was well prepared. She always trusted and placed value in what was logical and in the things she knew, so she was very confident in planning her retirement. She had begun the process early and had her retirement all laid out well in advance. In retirement, she found new pleasure in traveling and reading. Even in retirement, Doris continued to stay in touch with her old friends while making plenty of new acquaintances. She was active in her new community and felt fulfilled.

Doris Jean Burrow passed away on October 21, 2010 at her home in Hacienda Heights. She is survived by her children, Ruth, Barbara and Karen. Sister, Wanda Lee Tannenbaum. Doris was laid to rest in Westside District Cemetery in Taft , California.

Commitment is a key word that can be used to describe the life of Doris Jean Burrow. She was committed to living the life of a good woman who was both practical and trustworthy. She was committed to the traditional values that she upheld her entire life. She committed herself to being a hard worker who expected the same effort in return from those around her. Most of all, she was committed to those she knew and loved.