BURROWS, Monna Dills, Beeville Bee, 21 Mar 1940:

We mark with a heaviness of heart the passing of one of the most notable characters of our city 
and community.  When one inquires into the nobility of life, he invariably finds that there must 
be a background to bequeath the highest noble virtue of all life that is to be great.
	
As we review the background of Monna Dills we find among her ancestors, noble men and gentle 
women whose lives expressed themselves in constructive and useful service in the day of which 
they were a part.
	
Born in Cynthiana, Harrison county, Kentucky in February 5, 1866, from whence has come a great 
influence for good, not only to that state but to the nation itself; of that influence she was a worldly 
contributor. From the place of her nativity at the age of nine she moved to Texas and settled with her 
parents in Sherman. Her father was John Hammon Dills and her mother was Julia Ellen Desha.
	
The influence of her family upon that city is felt even today; which city was and is blessed with cultural 
influences by families like hers. 'Tis little wonder that a life spent through it's formative period in the 
midst of such an environment would blossom into a life of grace, beauty, charm and intelligence, this 
Monna Dills grew into a flower of young womanhood and blossomed into a gracious and lovely lady 
of the South.
	
As was customary in that time, she visited with her family in various parts of the country. By chance on a 
visit to the home of her sister, Mrs. J. P. Hird, in Gainesville, Texas, she met a young man, one J. C. Burrows, 
and as fate oftentimes is wont to do, they were made acquainted and later were married on April 16, 1890 in 
Sherman, Texas. True to the rearing of a noble family, as a wife she took her place not only in the life of her 
husband but in the life of her city and community, as a devoted wife and citizen.
	
To this union was born two children, one of whom, Rissa May, became the object of their devotion and 
interest until the date of her untimely passing on October 30, 1927. A son died in infancy.
	
Even with the responsibility of a family she was able to find time to serve her church, having become a 
member of the Presbyterian church after her arrival in Beeville forty-five years ago. Having previously 
served in choir work in Sherman, she became a leader not only in the choir of her own church but in 
music circles of her city.
	
She found time to serve in the Rosetta club of which she was a charter member, founded in 1902, to serve 
actively until her death, in the organization of a mother's club composed of parents of children in the 
schools, which later became the P.T.A. She was an active member of the W.C.T.U.
	
Her survivors, besides her husband are three grandchildren; Sidney Irwin Malone, Rissa Mary Malone and 
Marjorie Malone, two sisters, Mrs. H. B. Chamberlin of Hanover, Mass., Mrs. J. P. Hird of Shreveport, LA. and 
two brothers, Lucius Dills of Roswell, NM and Roger Dills.
	
Mrs. J. C. Burrows died March 11, 1940, in a Beeville hospital following a brief illness. She was a resident of 
Beeville since 1895, active in church and club work and served for many years on the board of trustees of the 
Beeville Independent School District.


MRS. BURROWS OLD KENTUCKY HOME, Bee Picayune, 30 Jun 1938

An article published in the Falmouth, KY, Outlook, during the visit of Mr. and Mrs. J. C. Burrows to that state 
recently, is reproduced below. Falmouth was one of the principal stops on the tour qtr. and Mrs. Burrows made 
through the state, but it is not the old home of Mrs. Burrows, who is a native of Cynthiana.

For more than a quarter of a century the greatgreat-granddaughter of former Govt. Joseph Desha has not set 
foot on the dark and bloody ground of the state in which the fortunes of her family had been made and lost and 
made again for generations. Then two weeks ago Mrs. J. C. Burrows came back.

When she and Mr. Burrows came from Beeville Texas to visit their old Kentucky home for the first time in twenty eight 
years, Mrs. Burrows brought with her memories of more exciting and perhaps better times to the minds of many who 
are nearing the twothirds mark in the century. Mr. and Mrs. Burrows were the guests of his nephews, Edwin B. Earle 
and J. Charles Earle, and families during their stay in Falmouth.

Mrs. Burrows visited her old home place on the Oddville Pike. The huge old rambling southern colonial brick, built 
during the War of 1812 by Joseph Desha is now know as the Hugh Duffy place.

Pictures of Mrs. Burrows' grandfather, grandmother and greatgrandfather were hanging in the identical spots above 
the fireplace in the old parlor in which they had hung for many years during her childhood. The portraits were painted by 
Anderson, at that time he was a well known portrait artist of Cincinnati, when Mrs. Burrows was a little girl.

The furniture was the same as it had been when Mrs. Burrows wore childish pinafores and braids and perhaps the same 
as it had been when family slaves cleaned and polished the house during prewar years. A cousin of the family, Hugh Duffy, 
owns the homestead at the present time and has to a great extent preserved both the material appearance and the atmosphere 
of the old days when horses' hoofs clanked against the pebbles on the drive and colored servants ran the household with 
bows and "yowsas" in typical early Blue Grass style.

Traditions of the family began when Mrs. Burrows' greatgreatgrandfather, who was later to be Govt. Joseph Desha, came to 
Kentucky from Pennsylvania with his parents in 1771 at the age of three. As a young man he was a volunteer in an expedition 
against the Northwest Indians under General Wayne in 1794 and '95.

His political career started early and from 1797 until 1803 he was a delegate from Mason county to the House of Representatives 
in the Kentucky Legislature. Between the period of his service as a Representative and the time he was sent to Congress he 
served as Major General in the army at the Battle of Thames.

Desha was elected a member of the National Congress form Kentucky in 1807 and served in that capacity until 1819. He was a 
candidate for the governorship of Kentucky in the election of 1820, but was defeated by Darrows. He ran again in 1824 and was 
elected by a majority of 10,000 votes. From June 1, 1824 until June 1, 1828, Desha served as governor of the state of Kentucky. 
Following his term as governor he retired, probably to the home on the Oddville Pike or to Georgetown, where he died 
on Oct. 11, 1842.

Thus with a life of service as soldier and statesman for Kentucky, he paved the way for his children and his children's children 
to break the Kentucky wilderness and make the name of the Blue Grass synonymous with southern American culture 
throughout the world.