Colleene Gweendlee Burton Tharp of North Richland Hills passed away Wednesday, November 13, 2019, in Bedford, Texas. Colleene was born May 24, 1936, in Grimes, Oklahoma, (Roger Mills County), to Ollie (Greene, Grover) and Lafayette Burton. She attended school in Lawton, Oklahoma, until moving to Birdville in 1952 and completing school in 1953. Colleene was a long-time resident of Wise and Tarrant Counties and lived her last 53 years at one address in North Richland Hills.
Colleene was always a working mother, holding some non-traditional jobs rebuilding car parts, sheet metal journeyman, and at Texas Instruments, and also more traditional jobs at Garden Ridge, Winn Dixie, Kroger, and other places, often working at more than one job at a time. As a long-time member of North Richland Hills Baptist Church, Colleene made mission trips to Russia, Israel, Egypt, and Jamaica, in addition to working with the church’s prison ministries in Huntsville. Colleene retired from full-time employment in 2010, yet she returned to work through the Holiday Season at Target in 2012. Most semesters following retirement Colleene was enrolled in adult continuing education classes at Tarrant County College, always preparing for the next job opportunity or pursing the latest Hobby. Hobbies included genealogy, gardening, quilting, weight training, flower arranging, basic computer information, and reading.
Colleene is survived by her four sons, Warren Paul Caldwell of Boyd, Billy Don Caldwell and husband Floyd Jackson of Dallas, Lance Tharp and wife Cindi of Keller, and Brad Tharp and wife Kellie of Euless. In addition, she is survived by eight grandchildren: Daniel Caldwell, Amanda Caldwell Fierge, Barbara Caldwell Boynton, Chelsea Tharp McKinney, Prudence Tharp, Zoei Tharp, Beckett Tharp, Britton Tharp, and seven great-grandchildren. Colleene was preceded in death by her parents, and as the youngest among her siblings, four sisters, and three brothers: Roberta Grover May, Velma Grover, Mellie Grover Stone, Wilma Burton Holt, Richard Grover, Rodney Grover and Lewis Grover.
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