Annette Burton Waters

Macon, Georgia – Annette Burton Waters, went to be with her Lord and Savior, Thursday, January 5, 2012. Funeral services and a celebration of her life will be held on Sunday, January 8, 2012 at 3:00 p.m. at Mabel White Memorial Baptist Church. Burial will be in Riverside North Gate, with Dr. Lee Sheppard, Rev. Ronald Terry, Rev. Stephen N. Johnson and Rev. Joe McDaniel officiating. The family will receive friends on Sunday, from 1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Mabel White Memorial Baptist Church. Donations may be made to Mabel White Baptist Church, 500 Bass Road, Macon GA 31210 or Bolingreen Nursing Home, 529 Bolingreen Dr. Macon GA 31210 c/o Activities Fund.

Annette Burton Waters was born on December 24,1920 to John Quince Burton and Pauline Murden Burton in Robinson, GA. Annette, the oldest child, had three siblings: Lamar Burton, Lila Burton Jones, and Anita Burton Thompson. Annette’s father was a rural letter carrier, and her mother was a homemaker and wife. As a girl, Annette attended school in a storybook one-room red schoolhouse that sat behind her home. She often recalled fond memories of her childhood lived amid The Great Depression. Although her family was not wealthy, Annette’s father ensured that she received a talking doll one Christmas. Her mother made the children’s clothing, and her father bought the children new shoes each year.

Annette married Dr. James William Waters on June 23, 1940. They courted for six months, and they were married for 63 years. “James”, as Annette always referred to him, was the love of her life, and she his. Annette was a faithful and loving companion to James, as he traveled the state in God’s service, calling, and purpose for him. For 31 years, James was pastor of Mabel White Memorial Baptist Church. While James attended Mercer University, Annette helped him complete his assignments and learn French while caring for their first daughter, Dianne. James often credited Annette for the high grades he received.

Annette and James have 4 children: Dianne, Sheila, Deborah, and James William Waters, Jr. Annette, or “Annie B.”, as James often called her stayed home with the children and assisted James with his daily Vesper Time on WMAZ and later The Victory Hour on AM940WMAZ. James and Annette were curious and adventurous travelers, conducting tours throughout Europe, Africa, and The Holy Land. James and Annette also travelled to all 50 states in the US, their most beloved being Hawaii, where James served as a founding member of The Hawaii Baptist Academy.

James and Annette were personal friends of Former President Jimmy Carter and Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter. Annette enjoyed the simple pleasures of life. She loved reading, gardening, and cooking, and she enjoyed shopping up until her death. People who knew Annette marveled at her regal beauty, saying that she always looked as if she had stepped out of a fashion magazine.

Annette’s first love was Jesus Christ. Through many physical hardships, Annette modeled exceptional grace and poise and proved steadfast in her faith. She loved her husband of 63 years, James, of whom she spoke and greatly missed until her death on Thursday, January 5, 2012. Annette loved her 4 children, 7 grandchildren, and 8 great-grandchildren in the way only someone as truly special as Annette could. She enjoyed bringing souvenirs of her travels from around the world to her children and grandchildren.

The Lord loveth a quiet spirit. Annette will be remembered by her family and friends for her gentle and comforting presence, dignified and stoic strength, elegant taste and impeccable manners, and beautiful and illuminating spirit, which touched all those who knew her. Annette Burton Waters was undoubtedly welcomed into Heaven by her Savior and by her husband, James, and was rewarded beyond measure for her boundless and unending faith in her Lord, lived by a quiet yet powerful example, taking Christ’s charge as her vow to be a light to the world.

Visit www.snowsmacon.com to express tributes.

Snow’s Memorial Chapel, Cherry Street has charge of the arrangements.