Mrs. Ouida Jho Burk Bristow

Ouida Jho Burk Bristow, a cherished mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, passed away peacefully at the Autumn Leaves Nursing Center on March 31, 2025, just twenty-one days after celebrating her ninety-seventh birthday. Born in Nacogdoches, Texas, on March 10, 1928 to Lonnie Rebecca Burk and Willie Edwin Burk, Ouida was the ninth of ten children. Growing up on a farm with two brothers and seven sisters, Ouida developed a strong work ethic and a love for sports, excelling in basketball and volleyball at Central Heights School in Nacogdoches, Texas. The family later moved to Houston, Texas where Ouida graduated from Stephen F. Austin High School. Ouida pursued a passion for numbers by earning a degree in bookkeeping from business school and worked for W.D. Haden Company in Houston for eight years. Ouida met and married George Paul Bristow who had recently returned from fighting in World War II. They shared a loving marriage for 68 years until George’s death in 2015. In 1959, the couple moved to Henderson where they owned and operated Lone Star Paint Company until retiring in 1992. A devoted member at First Baptist Church in Henderson, Ouida served in the children’s nursery and later as a church greeter. Ouida’s love for sports was well-known, especially for the New York Yankees and the Texas Longhorns, where both her children graduated. They recall playing in the backyard and hearing their mother’s scream. A playmate would ask, “What’s wrong with your mother?” The answer was always, “Mickey Mantle must have hit another home run.” Grandchildren and great grandchildren fondly called Ouida “Honey”, a name that reflects the warmth and love she shared with her family. Ouida is preceded in death by her husband George Paul Bristow, her parents Lonnie Rebecca Burk & Willie Edwin Burk; her two brothers Ed & Gene Burk; and seven sisters Willie Mae Walker, Polly Oglesby, Mildred Crenshaw, Joan Robicheaux, Maxine Laughlin Binford, Gay Nell Harris Palmer, and Helen Lierman. Ouida is survived by her children Larry George Bristow and Denise Bristow Wilhite; three grandchildren Kimberly Wilhite Orr (married to Ryan Orr), Ashley Bristow Boone (married to Kevin Boone), and Adam Benton Wilhite (married to Elizabeth Suffield Wilhite); and seven great grandchildren Brennan Bristow Orr, Austin David Orr, Clayton Robert Orr, Ashton Layne Boone, Beckham Robert Boone, Emma Caroline Wilhite, and Marilyn (Mimi) Benton Wilhite. The family extends a heartfelt gratitude to the entire staff at Autumn Leaves Nursing Center for their exceptional care and support. A celebration of Ouida’s life will be held at 11:00 AM on Tuesday, April 8, 2025 at First Baptist Church, with Dr. David Higgs officiating, under the direction of Crawford-A. Crim Funeral Home. Following the service, the family will receive friends at the church in the Family Life Center. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Children’s Building Project at First Baptist Church of Henderson, 207 W. Main Street, Henderson, Texas, 75652. Words of comfort may be offered online at www.crawfordacrim.com.

Mrs. Ouida Jho Burk Bristow

March 10, 1928 - March 31, 2025