William Paul Burleson
1940-2024
William Paul Burleson was born to William Reed and Julia Margaret Burleson in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma on Friday, July 19, 1940. Paul departed this life on Sunday, May 5, 2024 at the age of 83.
Paul grew up in Oklahoma City and enjoyed playing baseball during his grade school years and learning to play the French Horn in Junior High. He attended Capitol Hill High School and was student council president his senior year. All the high school student council presidents and officers formed a group and Paul was elected as President of that group. He was proving himself early to be a leader.
Paul attended Oklahoma Baptist University his freshman year, then he married Mary Frances Cherry two days after her high school graduation. They moved to Wilburton Oklahoma where he continued his college education, pastored his first church, and worked for the city road crew to supplement their income.
They moved to Edmond Oklahoma to attend Central State University and they both took jobs in downtown Oklahoma City as they attended college and Paul became the youth pastor at Village Baptist Church. Their first child Cherri was born to them. Paul's first fulltime pastorate was Letha Baptist Church outside Seminole OK, and their second child Wade was born two days after Christmas. That New Year's Eve the church burned down, and Paul lost all his books and his brand new typewriter in his office. The church rebuilt and was renamed to Trinity Baptist Church.
Paul completed his college education at OBU in Shawnee and began his seminary education driving to Fort Worth TX from Seminole and staying for three days. Melody, their third child, was born on their fourth wedding anniversary while they were in Seminole. Paul completed one year at Southwestern Theological Seminary while they lived in Seminole, commuting back and forth weekly. They didn't have much money and Mary remembers putting Melody on her back and taking the two toddlers with her and picking up pecans and selling them to buy food, while Paul was gone to Fort Worth.
They moved to Saint Jo Texas for Paul to pastor First Baptist Church and continue his seminary education. He drove to Fort Worth from Saint Jo four days a week and completed two more years of seminary work. Mary continued her college education at a junior college in Gainesville. The Burlesons moved to Wichita Falls TX in May of 1972 and Paul finished his seminary education in Fort Worth. Paul graduated with a Masters Degree from SWTS on his 28 th birthday. School was finally over.
Their fourth child, Brett, was born in Wichita Falls, while Paul pastored Fairway Baptist Church for four years. Their next move was to the panhandle of Texas, where Paul pastored First Baptist Church of Borger, TX. The last three churches he pastored were Southcliff BC in Fort Worth, FBC in Broken Arrow, OK, and Trinity Baptist Church in Norman, Oklahoma. He began a traveling ministry based out of Broken Arrow before moving to Norman, where he and Mary held Pastor and Wife Conferences. Paul also did Bible Conferences in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and other states.
Paul's passion and love was to teach the Bible and make it relatable in life and help others grasp the beauty and joy of grace living. People were drawn to him, and it was exciting to see lives change as God's Word was understood and embraced.
Paul loved to ride motorcycles and he rode for awhile before he could convince Mary to ride with him. When she finally agreed, they enjoyed trips to Colorado, Wyoming, Arkansas, and other various trips. When Mary couldn't go, Paul enjoyed riding with Mary's brother Freddie, and they took some week-long trips to the Northwest and CA. Riding was one of Paul's favorite hobbies and enjoyments.
Paul will be greatly missed. He's loved by so many! He is survived by his wife Mary of 64 years, his sister and brother-in-law Betty and Frank Coy, his four children and their mates, his 15 grandchildren, 15 great grandchildren, and many more precious family members.
Family will greet friends from 5-7 p.m., Thursday, May 9th at Matthews Funeral Home. Services will be held at 2:00 p.m., Friday, May 10, 2024 at Crossings Community Church OKC. To watch a live stream of the service please use the link below
https://vimeo.com/event/4287966/37045b40a1
The Memorial Folder distributed at the Celebration Service can be accessed here: https://istoriaministries.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/PAUL-BURLESON-MEMORIAL-Friday-May-10-2024.pdf