Anthony Burger’s Home Going Celebration
If there’s one thing that Bill Gaither has learned, it’s how to have a send off for a Christian on his last journey. What a celebration was had Wednesday afternoon, March 1, 2006 at Christ Church in Nashville, Tennessee as we said our goodbye's to Anthony Burger. It was certainly a Celebration Service and nothing near a sad Funeral. It was apparent from the beginning that while we mourned his leaving us now, we knew that we would meet again in Beulah Land.
Roger Talley came to the piano and played softly as people filed into the sanctuary. Through the back doors of the church Anthony Burger was carried down the aisle by six pallbearers, Russ Taff, Tommy Cooper, Kirk Talley, Kevin Williams, Roy Webb, and Terry Gibbs.
After the casket was resting in the front of the sanctuary, Anthony’s daughter Lori, stood at her pew beside her mother, LuAnn and sang a beautiful rendition of "It Won’t Rain Always." As the casket was positioned you couldn’t help but notice that there was a Grand piano sitting on the stage, unattended, in honor of Anthony. It was a very nice gesture by Steinway & Sons.
The Homecoming Choir consisted of Gloria Gaither, Jeff and Sheri Easter, Lari Goss, Roni Goss, Lynda Randall, Stephen Hill, Jim Murray and his wife, Jesse Dixon, Russ Taff, Kirk Talley, Mike Allen, Naomi Sego, John Bowman, Becky Isaac Bowman, Charlotte Richie, Judy Nelon, Lou Hildreth, Sue Dodge, Debra Talley, Lauren Talley, Joyce Martin, Jonathan Martin, Marshall Hall, Guy Penrod, Kenny Bishop, Stan Whitmire, Ed Crawford, Steve Hurst, Mark Tramell, Eric Phillips, Lily Isaac, Sonya Isaac, Jimmy Jones, Libby Perry, Ronnie Booth, Calvin Newton, Sara Delane, Amy Lambert, Ben Speer, Wes Hampton, Ivan Parker, Teresa Parker, Ann Downing, Joseph Haberdank, Loren Harris, Dean and Kim Hopper, Joe Thrasher, Larry Ford, Michael Booth, Jim Hill, Rabbit Easter, Tracy Stuffle, Johnny Minick, Daryl and Karen, Williams, Marshall Pugh, Gary Casto, Tim Duncan, Ryan Seaton,, Ernie Haase, Jim and Melissa Brady, David Phelps and his wife, Robbie Hiner, Aaron Wilburn, Rick Goodman and his wife, Reggie and Lady Love Smith, Joy Gardner, Roger Talley, Kevin Williams, Ben Isaac, Roy Webb, Woody Wright, Geron Davis, Greg Richie, Karen Peck, and Wayne Mainard.
The Homecoming Choir sang “Amazing Grace”, “Beulah Land” which featured Ivan Parker, “Unclouded Day” featuring Ben Speer, “God On The Mountain”, which Lyndal Randall was shining on, and “It Is Well With My soul” featuring David Phelps and Larry Ford.
John Fisher spoke of Anthony’s sons, AJ and Austin. Tabitha Huff represented the Burger Family and spoke affectionately of her uncle.
Russ Taff told a funny story about Anthony at one of Gaither’s concerts and Bill Gaither told of how Anthony saved the day for David Phelps at a concert in Fargo, ND as he played fill-ins on David’s track since David was still in the bus.
There was more Homecoming singing as the Choir sang "Tell Me The Story Of Jesus" featuring Charlotte Richey and Ivan Parker. Jesse Dixon sang "What Are they Doing In Heaven?" and really ministered to the whole congregation. Jesse set the stage for the remainder of the service as Jonathan and Joyce Martin along with Charlotte Richie sang "Rock Of Ages". At this point the Gaither Vocal Band along with David Phelps sang "These Are They" and the whole place stood in worship as the Holy Spirit truly sent comfort to all who were there.
Rev. Dan Scott gave a short sermonette telling how God used the hands of Anthony after they had been severely burned and Doctors told his parents that he would never use his hands again. Truly God had different plans for Anthony’s hands and how those hands blessed so many people.
As the service was coming to an end a video of Anthony was shown as he played "Clair De Lune/Jesus Loves Me." Ending the service, as the pallbearers lifted Anthony to carry him out, the Homecoming Choir softly sang "Oh Come Angel Band".
What a homecoming celebration it was and I am blessed for having been there and for having experienced a small part of Anthony's life. I look forward to seeing him again!
============
Cleveland, TN Homegoing Celebration
Anthony John Burger - Home Where I Belong
On Wednesday evening, February 22nd, another soul was promoted to heaven. On Wednesday, March 1st, we saw in a celebration of his life at Christ Church, Anthony John Burger, professional musician. This celebration also gave us glimpses at his love of family and friends.
Today, March 3rd, at a Home-going Celebration, we saw Anthony John Burger, the man who was a professional musician. One of the things that amazes me most often is how God works so many different ways at different times and places.
The service today began with a slideshow of Anthony's life, with his piano CD playing an accompaniment. A picture, the one in the recent Singing News article sat on the empty piano. This was followed by a welcome and remarks by Mayor Tom Rowland, of Cleveland, TN. Mayor Rowland had known Anthony since he was about 3. He told of the Joint Resolution signed by the Governor of Tennessee, the House and Senate honoring the memory of Anthony John Burger.
He spoke of watching Anthony grow up, and of advising Richard and Jean Burger not to let their son go with the Kingsmen because if they sent their sixteen year old off to travel with a 'bunch of singers' he would never amount to anything. Amid the laughter, he smiled at the Burgers and said "I'm sure glad you didn't listen to me!" He told that the funeral was being broadcast on local station WCLE Radio, the first place Anthony was ever broadcast from as he played at the station.
He shared how Anthony never forgot his hometown and what that had meant to the people there. As he told of hearing the news of Anthony's death, he related how his wife had gotten in her car on Thursday morning. Anthony's cd was in the deck and when she started the CD it skipped the first track and went to track 2 "Home Where I Belong". As that song finished, it skipped track 3 and went to track 4 "Feeling at Home". They later played the CD in another player and it worked fine. To them it was a message saying 'everything is fine'.
Next the Voices of Lee did a tremendous rendition of 'The Old Rugged Cross'. This was the very first song Anthony ever played so it was fitting it be the first song at the service.
Kevin Williams then played 'Unclouded Day' on his guitar. As he finished he told how this was the song that he played just before the artist were to take the stage and it was Anthony's cue to head that way. Anthony's mom had asked him to share some funnies of traveling with Anthony. First, he told us that he was wearing Anthony's tie because when you are on the road together, you just borrow each other's things. He shared how he was teaching a guitar class as Stamps Baxter and Anthony walked in while he was teaching, picked up a guitar and began to play, his student sat there with his mouth open. Obviously not knowing Anthony could play almost anything, the student was speachless. He told of keyboards falling on Anthony's feet (and wondering if he come make that happen again). And of arriving in Bangor, Maine but their luggage not arriving so they had nothing to wear on stage. They finally found two pairs of black Levis, a size 30 and a size 36. Anthony squeezed into the 30s, leaving Kevin to try to keep on the size 36. Kevin then proceeded to imitate Anthony moving on stage in the Levis a couple of sizes too small.
From the hilarious to the center of who Anthony was, Pastor Ricky Vaughn began by quoting from Revelation 14:13 "… Blessed are the dead, that die in the Lord…". Blessed- happy, we know that Anthony is happy today as he is with the Father. From Romans 12:6-8, he spoke of gifts and named four gifts he was sure Anthony had. They were the gift of ministry, the gift of friendship, the gift of family and the gift of God. From there he moved to Romans 6:23, and explained the need to accept the gift of God as payment for our sins. He told of Anthony's salvation at age nine, explaining this gift using Ephesians 2:8-9.
He concluded by urging us to take the gift of God if we did not already know Him and to give ourselves to God to the best of our abilities. He said if Anthony were here today, he would say "Give your all".
Kirk Talley then sang, "He Is Here" and truly you could feel the presence of God in that place. Tabitha Huff, Anthony's niece, talked about Anthony while a song he and her dad had written played in the back ground. "Angels Dancing" was the title and while they had written the music, they had never put words to it. As a slideshow of Anthony flashed in the background, Tabitha's remembrances of Anthony filled in the words. She told of his love for his parents. He called them every day to see how they were. She told of how he loved his children and the rest of his family. She told how they had taken for granted he would be there and she wished she had known that wasn't so. The lesson to cherish the important things was there.
Tabitha told how in February, 1962, Anthony had fallen on the furnace and got 3rd degree burns. The burns were so bad he wasn't even crying, it had taken his breath away. She then related a story told by someone at the concert that last night. The lady said as Anthony was playing she felt something brush by her, and she saw an angel and white and gold go up to stand behind Anthony at the piano. Tabitha said as the angel laid his hand on Anthony's back, in February, 2006, it was so wonderful, it took his breath away. You may not believe we can see angels, but seen or unseen angels surely ushered Anthony into the presence of the Lord.
Before singing again, Kirk shared what a true friend Anthony had been. He told how Anthony called him every week as he was going thorough his struggles, often inviting Kirk to travel with him and Lu on a weekend. Then he talked about how Anthony was a perfectionist with his music and how he loved his smoke machine. He said the weekend after Anthony's death as he was flying to Florida a lady seated beside him said Anthony was probably playing for the angels. Kirk grinned and said "I just said, yeah but in my mind I thought, no, he won't play until he finds an extension cord for that smoke machine!" Kirk then thanked LuAnn for making his friend so happy.
Kirk talked of how Anthony could encourage and uplift and audience. And he reminisced about seeing Anthony with his hands raised in the air as the smoke cleared after playing a song. "Serenaded By Angels" was his closing.
The Voices of Lee then performed the last solo Anthony ever played, "We Shall Behold Him". Again the presence of the Lord was so real during this service.
Pastor James Vaughn closed out the speaking part of the service with words of encouragement and hope for the entire family. He then said a prayer for God to help them in the coming days.
As the prayer ended the first notes of the "Hallelujah Chorus" began to play and this song from the Masterpiece DVD was shown on the screen with the Voices of Lee joining in from the choir. This was a fitting celebration to a wonderful life of Christian service.
At the grave site after the pastor has spoken a few words and prayed with the family, we were all asked to move so the family could see up the hill. Up a little way from us was a man with a basket. Another man spoke but from our position we couldn't hear all of what he said, but what we caught was about how the soul that leaves is caught up to meet the Lord and those gone before. They then released a basket of doves. After waiting a couple of moments, the man took another basket and released a single dove. The group, circled around to meet the one released alone. I can't speak for anyone else but it gave me chills!
The pallbearers for today's service were, Danny Murray, Steve Allen, Travis Burger, John Allen, Kirk Talley and Kevin Williams. Today's service was attended by family, friends and some fans, not many have names that would be recognized. But Anthony would recognize them and he would call most of them by name. That was the type of man he was. That is one of the reason's why he will be so greatly missed.
Anthony Burger, as a musician, there will never be another like him. As a friend, he can never be replaced. As a Christian he has left a legacy for others to follow.
Written by:
D. Ann Bailey
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Written: 03/01/2006 
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