April 29, 1949 — August 1, 2023
Geraldine Burney Edge, 74, of White Oak entered eternal rest on Tuesday, August 1, 2023 surrounded by her family. Geraldine, or Sissie as she was affectionately called by most family members, was the fifth child and only daughter born to George and Georgia Anner Burney on April 29, 1949. She was a wonderful wife, mama, “Gammie”, sister, aunt, and friend to many.
Geraldine was a member of the Clarkton High School graduating class of 1968.
Geraldine married David Edge of White Oak the same year she graduated from high school. Though she did work outside the home as a floral designer at the former Wallace Florist and Elizabethtown Florist, a nanny for Dr. and Mrs. Stephen Bridgers’ children, and as a Family Care Specialist at Bladen-Gaskins Funeral Home, she always believed her most important job in life was to be a dedicated and loving wife, mother, daughter, sister, and aunt.
Geraldine kept an immaculate home and cooked delicious, Southern, made-from-scratch dishes for her family, often cooking three full meals every single day. An excellent cook, Geraldine was known throughout Bladen County for her signature chicken salad, pimento cheese, potato salad, dressing, lemon meringue pie, and blueberry crunch. If you got up from her table, you were always full and also totally convinced that you had just enjoyed the absolute best meal ever cooked.
Her two daughters were her world, and she doted on the girls when they were young and became the very best of friends with them when they grew up. The last ten years, Geraldine and her girls especially enjoyed “girls’ weekends” at the beach together where they sunned, laughed, talked, shopped, ate, and took in many of the shows. Geraldine cared tirelessly and lovingly for her father, her mother, her in-laws, and all five of her brothers when they were ill and dying. One brother dubbed her “Mother Hen” because she worried about and fussed over “the boys”, as she called her brothers. To Geraldine’s many nieces and nephews, she was simply “Aunt Sissie”, and she was loved and respected immensely by the generations of Burneys who followed her. With the death of her own mother 30 years ago, Geraldine stepped into the role of matriarch for her large Burney family, and she handled that with grace, love, and honor. She remained- always- BURNEY STRONG! She will be missed tremendously by her family and will be remembered forever.
Geraldine was predeceased by her parents and her five brothers James Robert Burney, Charles Franklin (Buddy) Burney, Walt (Peat-C) Burney, Ronnel Burney, and Marvin Burney. She was also predeceased by her in-laws Vermon and Margaret Edge,and sister-in-law Rosalie Baker Russ.
She is survived by her husband of fifty-five years, David Edge, two daughters Noel Dennis (John) of Clarkton, and Melanie Collier (Rodney) of White Oak; grandsons Travis Dennis (Shayna) of Texas, Justin Collier (his fiance, Morgan) of Wilmington, and Trevor Dennis (Jessica) of Clarkton; great grandchildren Leila Dennis of Texas, Julie Dennis and Archer Dennis of Clarkton; sisters-in-law and brother-in-law Linda Burney of Elizabethtown, Marsha Burney of Clarkton, Ann Burney of Clarkton, Dean Burney Ellison (David) of New Bern, and Jean Cross of Clarkton. Geraldine also leaves behind several nieces and nephews Frankie Burney (Christy), Lori Burney, Robbie Burney (Karen), Terry Baker II (Lisa), Todd Burney (Carrie), Cory Burney Singletary (Ron), and Graham Burney; great nieces and nephews Whitney Burney-Sult (BJ), Sky Burney, Marissa Smith (Clayton), Jacob Gonzalez, Destiny Baker, Summer Singletary, Tripp Burney, Jolie Burney and Paisley Singletary; great-great nieces and nephews Riley Grace Burney, Lauren Smith, Hunter Sult, Aubree Burney, Bristol Smith, and Cooper Smith; and multiple cousins, including a special cousin, Sarah Anglin, who has been like a sister.
A visitation will be held from 6:00-8:00 pm on Friday, August 4 at Bladen Gaskins Funeral Home. The funeral service will be held at 4:00 on Saturday, August 5 at Suggs Grove Missionary Baptist Church. Reverend Joey Dockery and Reverend Walter Hayes will officiate the service. Burial will follow in the church cemetery.
