Kaufman Chamber honors Mary Griffin Burt with lifetime achievement award

Mary Griffin Burt is the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Kaufman Chamber of Commerce. She received the award Tuesday from Michelle Sjerven.

On Tuesday night, the Kaufman Chamber of Commerce hosted its 105th annual membership meeting and awards ceremony. Mary Griffin Burt is the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award. The following are excerpts  from the presentation speech by Rheanne Archer: 

The 2019 Lifetime Achievement Award recipient has a long history of service to the people of Kaufman County. Throughout many years of service to others, she has become known as a person who gives unselfishly of her talents, time, and energies to help citizens within this community. Mary Griffin Burt is a valuable asset to this community with a true commitment to widowed seniors through her acts of service. You never know when she will show up at your door with a sweet treat or beautiful plant to brighten your day. She is a behind-the-scenes type of person; so many community members do not realize what all she really does. 

Mary was a teacher for 20-plus years in the Kaufman and Scurry-Rosser school districts. Her last few years were the most meaningful because she taught literature and loved the bonds she formed with her students. She served with the Kaufman Friends of the Library and helped implement the new library where our current facility is located. She has served others through leadership and participation in the Downtown Revitalization Committee and was a member of the Clover Club for many years. She is a long-time member and faithful servant at First Baptist Church of Kaufman. She played a role in saving the Bacon Building, as well as helping save other buildings within the community.

She attended North Texas University and then transferred to Lamar University in Beaumont where she graduated. She married in September 1957 to her true love, and this year will be celebrating 63 years together. They have two children and five grandchildren. The family has a strong Texas A&M presence with her husband and two children graduating from there. Two of the grandchildren are graduates and her twin grandchildren, the youngest of the five, will be attending this fall.

This first-class lady is a beautiful person on the inside and out with a smile that lights up a room with an infectious laugh and a heart for our community.

The recipients of the other chamber awards, as well as the teachers of the year, will be featured in a special tabloid in the Feb. 27 edition of the Herald. 

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