Dr. Arvel E. Burrell, a friend in need

When my dad died, May 8, 2013, I began to get email from people telling me different ways that my dad had been a help to them, had prayed for them or spoken kindly to them and it meant so much to me to that they would take the time to do that. That is the reason I want to write this little tribute about a gentle man who just went to heaven.

Upon reading that Dr. Arvel E. Burrell, age 97 of Atlanta, passed away Friday, September 4, 2015 several things went through my mind that I want to share about this wonderful man and his beautiful wife, Chloe.

Our family went through a time of transition, in late 1960, a total change in the life of three families and for the most part it was a very unpleasant time. Without going into the reasons I will say that “lines were drawn in the sand”, people who had been long time friends were friends no longer and there were very few exceptions, one of those exceptions was the Burrell family. I remember one evening when Dr. Arvel and Miss Chloe came by the house in Little Five Points where all twelve of us lived and the reason I remember it is because I was home babysitting the younger children and neither my parents nor either of my uncles was there, yet when I answered the door and told them they came in anyway just to visit with me! I was totally embarrassed because I had washed my hair and had been trying a new style which was not working on my long, black, fuzzy hair and since I had a crush on their son I wanted to make a good impression on them and knew that with me looking like a wild woman that had probably not happened. Not too much harm was done I guess because my very first date, right before my sixteenth birthday, was going to a church Christmas banquet with their very handsome son.

As a side note I thought that Miss Chloe was the softest, prettiest lady and when my daughter was expecting her little girl I remembered the name of that pretty lady and I have to say that my granddaughter is a credit to the name.

I know that when Dr. Burrell went through the Pearly Gates he was greeted by people whom he had helped in this life and they were saying, “Thank you for giving to the Lord and for the help you gave me in this life, welcome home!”