Samuel Lee Burnett, Jr., A.K.A. Sonny, Sammy Sam, Skippy, or Grubbie, age 53, of Burlington, Kansas, went home to Glory peacefully on Wednesday evening January 22, 2020, at 9:09 P.M., at the Midland Hospice House in Topeka, Kansas, after a valiant battle with Kidney Disease.

Sonny was born April 20, 1966, in Nowata, OK, to David Rowe and Jewel M. (Hardrick-Burnett) Anderson. From day one he was a fighter and go getter as he was born at the clinic instead of the hospital

He grew up in Coffeyville, KS, attending SEK-CAP Head Start, Garfield, Whittier, Lowell, and Lenapah, Ok, Elementary Schools, McKinley Middle Roosevelt Jr, and Field Kindley High School and Coffeyville Community College. He also attended Pittsburg State University and Neosho County Community College in Chanute and earned a Bachelor's Degree.

While in Coffeyville he was a devoted member of the Claiborne Drill Team as an assistant to Rev. Earline Claiborne or Aunt Flookie, Big Bird, Mr. Bronze and sang lots of songs for many many years.

As a teenager he joined Toby's Amusement Carnival and worked with them for 25 years but was considered family for 35 years.

He worked for SKIL (Southeast Kansas Independent Living) in Chanute where he served on the Board of Directors for 8 years. He always took great pride in representing people with disabilities and assuring that the services they needed in Southeast Kansas were in place. He was a long-time member of Kansas ASAPT. This gave him an opportunity to stand up for people's civil rights and fight for equality for people with disabilities. He joined the Neosho County Disability Coalition in 2013. He served terms as Chair and Vice Chair of the coalition. The Coalition allowed him to be a part of a peer group that works together to empower one another. He worked at various other jobs throughout his life. His last employment was at the Casey's General Store in Burlington, after he moved here in May of 2019.

Grubbie, as Tina called him, was an all-round caring, loving, and giving person who loved the Lord with all his heart as well as his family and friends. He will be truly missed but never forgotten. He was a die hard Kansas City Chiefs fan and was so happy to see them win the championship and go to the Super Bowl and was so looking forward to watching them in the Super Bowl.

Left to forever cherish his memories are his mother, Jewel M. Anderson, Burlington; father, David Rowe, Fresno, CA; Pops Don Sales, Burlington; brothers, Cedric Rowe, Fresno, CA, Stephen Burnett, Wichita, and Brian Burnett, , Burlington; sisters, Justina Decker and Charlotte Burrell, both of Burlington; Aunt's, Ethel Colbert, Coffeyville, and Gwendolyn Meigs, Denver, CO; several nephews and nieces including Shylonda Wright, Gregory Burrell, and Tawny Johnson; cousins; and many other relatives and friends.

He was preceded in death by his name sake, Samuel Lee Burnett, Sr., his brother, Arnold Rowe; and a niece, TyRhonda Burrell.

Free at Last, Free at Last, thank God almighty he is Free at Last.

Memorial Services will be held 10:00 A.M., Saturday, February 8, 2020, at Jones Funeral Home, Burlington.

Inurnment will be in the Ketchum Cemetery, Ketchum, OK, at a later date.

Contributions may be made to SE Kansas Independent Living or Midland Hospice House, and can be sent to Jones Funeral Home, P.O. Box 277, Burlington, KS 66839.