Michael Hollis Burks, III (19 months) was born September 12, 2018 and was escorted to Heaven by a host of angels on May 5, 2020. Hollis attended Faith Temple Church, where he loved being in Sunday School class with his twin sister, KaMarie. Hollis was diagnosed with MPS1 Hurler Syndrome, a rare genetic disease. He spent many months undergoing treatment at the University of Minnesota Masonic Children's Hospital in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where he was loved and cared for by his devoted medical team. Hollis was a ray of sunshine even on his darkest days. He always had a beautiful smile for everyone he met. He leaves behind the legacy of the sweetest, purest love. Hollis loved watching his two favorite movies on repeat (Boss Baby and Sing), playing with all his favorite toys, cuddling with his Woof Woof and Sammy the Sloth and making sure his Mamaw Shiela was always giving him her undivided attention. Hollis is survived by family who loved and cherished him, including his father, Michael Burks, II of Rienzi; his mother, Sheena Greenlee of Rienzi; his twin sister, KaMarie Brooke Burks of Rienzi; his sister, Anna Greenlee of Rienzi; his grandmother, Shiela Duncan of Rienzi; his grandfather, Michael Burks of Florence, AL; his grandparents, Chuck and Sandra Bonham of Blackland; his great-grandparents, Gerald Duncan of Adamsville, TN and Brenda Johns of Rienzi and a host of aunts, uncles and cousins. Drive through visitation will be Friday, May 15, 2020 from 5-8 pm at Jacinto Faith Temple Church. A graveside service will be held on Saturday, May 16, 2020 at 12 pm at the church cemetery. All COVID 19 guidelines will be followed. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Hollis Strong Foundation at Farmers and Merchants Bank, PayPal: HollisStrongFoundation@gmail.com or VENMO @Hollis-Burks. The Hollis Strong Foundation has been established to honor the memory of our precious angel.
Friday
May 15, 2020
5:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Jacinto Faith Temple Church
Saturday
May 16, 2020
12:00 PM
Jacinto Faith Temple Church
I had the honor of meeting this sweet boy, his mother and grandmother in Minneapolis at the Ronald McDonald House while my nephew went through the same treatment for the same disease. This sweetheart stole my heart within seconds and I visited him every month while I visited my family. I will never forgot his smile and find solace in knowing he is no longer in pain. May his soul rest in peace. đź’ś
As an MPS dad myself, I followed Hollis on his journey via Facebook and fell in love with him instantly. His passing hurts deeply and our family sends our love and prayers for God’s Peace to his family. On behalf of Laura and Gil (MPS-I), our hearts are with you!!!
So very sorry for the loss of this precious child loved by so many. His smile and sweet face on Facebook brought happiness to us all. Sometimes God’s plans are not ours but he knows best. God bless you all of his family.
I had the honor of meeting his grandma Sheila at the children’s hospital and had the pleasure of seeing Hollis as well. I followed Sheila’s Facebook everyday to hear about Hollis and how he was doing. He was a fighter, that made him a inspiration for my family and myself. He fought this disease like a trooper and gained our respect. My son has cancer and he’s only 17 but has had it since 3 years old. We meet at the children’s hospital and became forever friends!! God bless the whole family.