Dora Alberta Burns Newsom (Bertie) was born on May 6, 1928, near Paragould, AR, to Elvis and Elsie Lenderman Burns. She passed away on July 21, 2023, in Searcy, AR, at the age of 95.

She was preceded in death by her parents; nine brothers and sisters; husband, Curtis Newsom; and daughter, Sharon Hoyt.

She is survived by her son, Dan and his wife, Barbara of Searcy; granddaughter, Julie Mooney and her husband, Howard; grandchildren, Colin and Caitlin Mooney all of Frisco, TX. In addition, she is survived by her nieces, nephews, grandnieces, and grandnephews who lovingly called her Aunt Bertie.

She and Curtis farmed and raised cotton, soybeans, corn, milo, angus cattle, hogs, and chickens. Needless to say, she was a hard worker.

She and Curtis did their very best to raise Sharon and Dan in a Godly home. In the early days, they put Sharon and Dan to bed each night with a scripture and a prayer. They went over their Sunday school lessons with them on Sunday mornings, prior to going to church at the Pine Knott Church of Christ. They wanted to make sure that their children were well prepared for their Sunday school classes. They took their children to church 3 times a week, Sunday morning, Sunday night, and Wednesday night. When the church had a gospel meeting during the summers, they would bring their children every night.

Alberta and Curtis wanted Sharon and Dan to have a Christian education at Crowley's Ridge Academy. The problem was, how to pay for it. In addition to her role on the farm, Alberta took jobs at the Children's Home of Paragould and later Crowley's Ridge College, to help provide the income for the children to be able to attend CRA. Curtis and Alberta worked hard to make sure that Sharon and Dan had what they needed. Sharon and Dan knew they were loved. Alberta was a great cook. Dan still remembers the biscuits and gravy, fried chicken, strawberry shortcakes, the fried chocolate pies, and her amazing turkey and dressing.

Alberta loved children! She and Curtis loved Julie coming to their house during the summers. Julie fondly remembers going out to eat, going shopping, and baking cookies with her mammaw, and riding the tractor with her pawpaw. Alberta absolutely adored her grandchildren, Colin and Caitlin.

Over the years, Alberta babysat for nieces, nephews, and grandnieces and grandnephews. Although they called her Aunt Bertie, she was more like a grandmother to them, and she loved every one of them very much: Marvin, Pam, Michelle, Tye, CJ, Maegan, Jenna, Valerie, Ronnie, and Donna.

Alberta and her sister, Lillian, were especially close. They had a tradition every Friday of going to lunch at the Barbecue Barn for catfish or barbecue. They looked forward to their time together.

The darkest time in Curtis and Alberta's lives was when Sharon died in 2003. Despite that loss, they persevered and kept their faith and reliance on God.

Alberta was very independent and wanted to stay in her home for as long as she could. On October 31, 2015, she moved out of Greene County for the first time in her life and moved into Harding Place, a retirement community in Searcy. She adjusted quickly, made friends, and enjoyed her time there. Harding Place was a perfect place for her to spend her last 7 ½ years.

Four months ago, Alberta was admitted to the hospital for congestive heart failure, and her health began to rapidly decline. She spent the last four months at The Crossing, a nursing home and rehabilitation center in Searcy. Through it all, she maintained her positive spirit and her love for the Lord. Special thanks to the staff at the Crossing and Gentiva Hospice for their kind and compassionate care.

There is a passage of scripture in Proverbs 31 that describes a virtuous woman and states that her price is far above rubies. That passage describes Alberta perfectly.

We all have been truly blessed to have known and loved Alberta and to have been loved by her. May she rest in peace. We will see her again!

The family will receive friends on Friday, July 28, from 1:00 p.m. until service time at Phillips Funeral Home. The funeral service will begin at 2:00 p.m. at Phillips Funeral Home with Dan Newsom and Phillip Swindle officiating. Burial will follow at Pine Knott Cemetery.

Marvin Smith, CJ Smith, Tye Johnson, Greg Marlar, Jerry Hancock, and Stan Foshee will serve as pallbearers.

The family requests that any memorials be made to Crowley's Ridge College, Crowley's Ridge Academy, Children's Home of Paragould, or the Pine Knott Church of Christ Cemetery Fund.