CHARLENE BURCIAGA FREE

CHARLENE BURCIAGA FREE, a resident of the Byhalia Community and Office Employee of the West Fraser Wood Mill Company died Friday, March 12, 2010 at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville where she had been a patient for three months. She was 60 years of age and died following an extended illness.

Funeral services for Mrs. Free were conducted at 2 P.M. Saturday, March 20th at the Collierville First Baptist Church with Dr. Chuck Herring, Pastor of the church, officiating. Interment followed in the Magnolia Cemetery at Collierville, and arrangements were provided by Peebles Fayette County Funeral Homes-West Chapel of Oakland.

Mrs. Free was born February 5, 1950 in Warsaw, Indiana. She was preceded in death by her parents, Chester and Wanda Whitten Ellsworth.

She was a member of the Collierville First Baptist Church and was married April 14, 2007 to Isaac Charles Free, an Employee of the Carrier Corporation-United Technology Company, who survives.

Mrs. Free was a former resident of Tupelo, Mississippi and had been a resident of Byhalia for the past three years.

She will be remembered for her love of traveling and out-of-door activities that included boating and trips to the beach.

She enjoyed special times with her grandchildren.

In addition to her husband, Mrs. Free is survived by four daughters: Sue Ellen Mendoza of Fulton, MS; Mollie Marlene LaBouve of Collierville; Michele Linn Halley of Byhalia, MS and Robin Lou Rowell of Columbia, MS and her step-daughter, Sandra Marcum of Byhalia, MS; two sons, Joseph Larry Burciaga of Byhalia, MS and Rodney Allen Burciaga of Chicago, IL and her step-son, Mitchell Free of Collierville; two sisters, Shirley Marlene Smitherman of Wilton, AL and Vivian Marie Hochstrasser of Liberty, KY; three brothers: Daniel Lee Ellsworth of Ludington, MI; Everett Gerald Ellsworth and Edward Acie Ellsworth, both of Liberty, KY; eleven grandchildren and three step-grandchildren.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by a brother, Marlin Chester Ellsworth.

Those honored to serve as casket bearers for Mrs. Free were Kent Rowell, Glenn Halley, Steven LaBouve, Kenny Kolbow, Bubba Mendoza, Jesse Rogers, Larry Burciaga and Rodney Burciaga.

Christian Rowell and Trevor Rowell served as honorary casket bearers.

The family requests that memorials be directed to the American Cancer Society, 1378 Union Avenue, Memphis, TN, 38104; Phone: (901) 278-2000.