Linda Darnell Burchfield Estes, born January 12, 1942, peacefully departed this earth on April 8, 2026, at 12:21 a.m.

She was preceded in death by her father James Burchfield and Mother, Zona Steed Burchfield of Hughes, Arkansas. She is survived by her son, Burch Estes and his wife, Michelle of Pearland, Texas; her first granddaughter, Chloe Estes Irvin and her husband, Andrew of Memphis, Tennessee and her younger granddaughter, Claire Estes of Houston, Texas; and by her daughter, Deanna Estes Burgess and her husband, Bart of Maumelle, Arkansas.

Linda was a determined child who lived a life full of wonder and curiosity about the world with a constant gleam in her eye for her father. As an only child, she embraced opportunities to take trips with her parents down to the family homestead, about half a day’s drive from Hughes to Lobutcha, Mississippi. There she had the opportunity to adore and be admired by her younger cousins, as most of her father’s and mother’s siblings had at least two or more younger children themselves. Linda always loved other children and as she was generally the oldest of the cousins, she absolutely loved the time she got to spend with her younger cousins both at the rural Mississippi farm home and on occasions when they might visit her home in Hughes. She was always proud of her father and mother’s, and her aunt’s and uncle’s Mississippi heritages and their seemingly lofty accomplishments, so she aspired to possess the vision with which she believed they were raised to see and seize the possibilities presented in the world.

It must have been her sense of wonder and desire for some adventure that led her to take a trip to Europe before her senior year, being invited to travel with a wealthy, elderly woman from Hughes who invited her to come along as her traveling companion. Her eyes were then opened to a world she could only imagine and she found truly enchanting. Consequently, she strongly desired the best life for herself and those she loved, at least early-on. Often reminiscing about the good times she had at the farmhouse, she used to tell her own children, of how much she used to love playing all day with her cousins at Big Mama’s and Big Daddy’s and then, after supper, in the pitch-dark Mississippi night, where only a few lights would be lit in the house but fire flies were abundant outside, while she fought ever so hard to stay awake in the adjacent bedroom so she could listen to her father and his five,or so, brothers’ booming voice’s, as they all gathered in the large dog-trot hallway of the farm house, to get together and enjoy one another’s company, she told us it was like they painted an audial tapestry of such vivid stories about humorous, imaginative, and unforgettable times they recalled, while growing up on the farm and things that happened in that rural community, each one of them “seemingly having a natural gift for story-telling. She told us, “Oh how she loved to hear their stories.”

As a diligent young student at Hughes High School, Linda was an active participant in many extra-curricular activities: Future Teachers of America (3 years), Student Council (2 years), Beta Club (4 years), Band (4 years), Basketball (5 years), Glee Club (2 years), Cheerleader (4 years), Majorette (2 years), Class Officer (3 years), Homecoming and Halloween Royalty, Junior Play, Who’s Who, and she was her class’s valedictorian. Upon finishing high school in 1960, she became engaged to and then married her high school sweet-heart- the love of her life, Harold Estes. Linda and Harold started their family in 1961, making their home in Memphis, Tennessee. While also becoming a mother shortly before, Linda made her parents exceedingly proud by becoming the first of them to earn a four-year college degree. Linda finished Magna Cum Laude at Memphis State University, receiving her Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education and after, taught 1st grade until her second child was born some three years later.

As a licensed educator, she not only faithfully served as a 1st grade teacher until her second child came along but again returned to teaching once her children had both passed the 1st grade and were established in elementary school, working then in West Memphis, Arkansas before ultimately returning to teach at Hughes Public Schools. Teaching soon became her passion, and after some years, her teaching talents became evident and were further recognized by the school as she began to serve as Hughes School District’s Federal Programs Coordinator and resource room guidance counselor for at-risk and learning challenged students. She did that while simultaneously pursuing and eventually receiving her Master’s Degree in Counseling from Arkansas State University. Soon Linda was promoted and re-assigned into the district’s central office, first, taking on the Assistant to the Superintendent role at Hughes Public Schools, where she also excelled at administration. Eventually, after a number of years, she retired from public school life (after having risen to the level of Assistant Superintendent) she could have gone farther in her career, but being the helper that she was, she ended her career in her late 50’s and became the primary caregiver for her aging mother, moving from Hughes and building a home in West Memphis, Arkansas, as they had buried Linda’s father recently.

Before she retired from Hughes, Linda had become recognized for her wisdom, compassion, and leadership at the state level and even somewhat nationally for her Federal Programs and at-risk students work in Hughes. Consequently, she was invited to serve as the President of the Association of Arkansas Federal Coordinators in Little Rock, having contributed greatly to both her professional community and to the lives of countless students that she helped to rise above life’s unfair challenges and difficulties that they faced that threatened to hold those students back and greatly affect their potential to graduate. That is, had she not been there to help them succeed One aspect of her job that she was particularly proud about was that she had the opportunity in her roles to teach English to foreign exchange students who neither spoke nor read English on their arrival to Hughes High School and she received several personal and unique thank you gifts from them to show their appreciation for her commitment and dedication to helping them succeed and master an all American High School curriculum. Perhaps, her senior quote in Linda’s High School Year Book’s best captures who she strove to be and ultimately was:

“After the verb “To Love’, ‘To Help’ is the most beautiful verb in the world.”

That perfectly sums up our mother, sometimes to a fault, but she loved to generously HELP by applying her tender, sometimes idealistic, but huge and genuine, loving heart that desired to give those in need a hand up. Linda learned from her father that there is no place for cruelty or injustice in the world and she championed to rid her little corner of the world of it, whenever and wherever she could. That is just who she was. Linda learned many lessons espoused by her Lord, as she truly loved all the little children no matter their circumstances. In late retirement, Linda had the privilege and pleasure to work with and teach special needs children to read. She even collaborated some with her daughter to teach children after school to rescue those children from the illiteracy because the public school system had otherwise failed.

Beyond her career, Linda was a woman of deep faith and belief in service. She was a committed Sunday school teacher who shared her love of learning and strived to live out the teachings of Jesus to others. Numerous persons have shared with her children over the years what an impactful Sunday School teacher she was and how much they learned about the Bible from her. Additionally, she has led adult women’s Sunday Schools for a number of years.

Linda was also a determined and talented artist, leaving behind many cherished paintings that now hang in the homes of her beloved family, friends, and persons that commissioned her art in the various communities where she has lived, both Arkansas and Tennessee.

If this reads more like a tribute to Linda than an obituary, then you can hold her children responsible because that is how we unabashedly feel. Our mother never was one to toot her own horn, being forever humble, reserved, a woman of great character, genuinely kind, dedicated to her calling and always attempting to act professionally no matter what the circumstances. She was taught how to be, and was, a truly special lady. We’ve tried to give you a glimpse into the truly wonderful mother we know that we had, so we know her legacy will live on in the many lives she influenced in the many ways that we have described and through her family that she so deeply cherished. We can’t wait until we can one day see her again.

Well done, Momma!

A Memorial Service for our sweet Momma will be held on Saturday May 9, 2026 at 1:00 PM at Mountain Terrace Estates Clubhouse, Maumelle, Arkansas 72113. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or First Baptist Church, 201 Church St., Hughes, Arkansas 72348.

Arrangements by A Natural State Funeral Service 2620 West Main Street, Jacksonville, Arkansas 72076. 501-982-3400. Online guestbook available at www.anaturalstatefuneralservice.com