Ada Laverne Mitchell Burch Crawford went home to be with the Lord on Friday January 31, 2020. Laverne was born on April 2, 1927, in Escambia County, FL. She lived in Miami, FL, Mobile, AL, Knoxville and Nashville, TN.
Laverne and Tommy L. Burch, Sr., her husband of 53 years, retired in 1982 to Tobacco Branch Village in Graham County, NC, and late moved to the Bryson City area. She was a member of Saw Mill Hill Free Will Baptist Church, where her husband pastored for 8 years. Laverne and Tommy enjoyed traveling to all the states and traveled abroad on several occasions, including 2 tours of the Holy Land.
Laverne was an honorary alumni of the Free Will Baptist College in Nashville, TN, now Welch College, where her husband, T.L. Burch was a professor of psychology and history for 20 years.
Laverne later married F.M. Crawford and they resided in Mobile, AL and Bryson City. They enjoyed visiting his family in Seattle, WA and Ohio.
She most recently attended Cornerstone Wesleyan Church. She had a God-given gift of hospitality and enjoyed preparing meals for family, friends and church gatherings. She had a recipe for most anything you desired to eat and would prepare it to perfection. Her talents included oil paintings and water color art as well as ceramics.
She was preceded in death by T.L. Burch, Sr. and F.M. Crawford; brothers T.C. Mitchell and V.V. (Mitch) Mitchell of Tobacco Branch Village, sister, Ruby Mitchell Burch, Mobile, AL and son, Tommy L. Burch, Jr., Bryson City. She leaves Jason Burch, grandson, Sylva, Elizabeth Burch Reep, granddaughter, Morganton, NC; Marshall Crawford, Step-son, Sue Moran, Step-daughter; nieces Brenda Green, Deland, FL and Anita Louise Epperson, Waynesville and their families; Rebecca Crowe Burch, Bryson City and step-grandson Joshua D. Jones, Bryson City.
Services were held 2:00 PM Sunday at Crisp Funeral Home Chapel in Bryson City, NC. Rev. Kevin Seagle officiated with burial at Weaver Cemetery in Brewton, AL.
The family received friends form 1:00 pm until 2:00 PM Sunday at the funeral home.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions in her memory be made to Cornerstone Wesleyan Church Cemetery Fund.
Cornerstone Wesleyan Church
PO Box 1216
Bryson City, NC 28713