Sallie ''Irene'' Burr Sanders, 87

Sallie ''Irene'' Burr Sanders, 87, of Monticello, went to be with the Lord on November 18, 2025, at St. Johns Place in Fordyce. She was born December 19, 1937, in Lincoln County to the late Thomas and Lizzy Mae Hamilton Burr.
Irene was a member of East Side Missionary Baptist Church of Monticello. She taught at Enon School from 1971-1978, and then at Drew Central School from 1979-1996, when she retired. She loved teaching all the students who walked through her door and made it her personal goal to make each one know their worth. She also enjoyed traveling, painting, cooking, and spending time with her family.

Irene was preceded in death by her parents and her husband of 54 years, Willie John Sanders; a daughter, Becky Marie Sanders Knight; two brothers, John Lane and Wilbert Burr; and three sisters, Lorene Burr, Nancy Burr, and Becky Nora Jean Houser.
She is survived by her son, William Sanders (Theresa); four grandchildren, Angela Sanders Rhodes (John), Tina Sanders Goodwin (Jason), Michael Knight (Megan), and Julie Knight Gardner (Bubba); and seven great-grandchildren, Anna Goodwin Summerhill (Nick), Emmett Goodwin, William Gardner, Brayson Knight, Eythan Knight, Hadleigh Knight, and Delilah Knight.
Funeral services were held at 3 p.m. Friday, November 21, 2025, at Stephenson-Dearman Funeral Chapel with Rev. Matt Terry officiating. There was a visitation from 2-3 p.m. preceding the funeral service. Burial was in Mountain Home Cemetery in Lincoln County.

Serving as pallbearers were Jason Goodwin, Emmett Goodwin, Nick Summerhill, Fred Cooper, Jason Cooper, Jeff Sanders, Byron Pharr and Matt Terry.