Green’s brother, John Burgess, his wife Julia and their two young sons, from the Houston area, were killed in the July 4 floods while camping in Ingram.
LIBERTY, Texas — Like many Texas families, country star Pat Green lost loved ones in the July 4 floods in the Texas Hill Country.
Green’s younger brother, John Burgess, his wife, Julia, and their sons James and Jack were camping in Ingram when the floodwaters swept them away. As of Wednesday, the boys were still missing.
Editor’s note: The video above originally aired on July 8.
“We are heartbroken and anxiously waiting for all of them to be found. Thank you for your prayers,” Green’s wife Kori posted on Instagram.
The couple’s 8-year-old daughter was at a nearby summer camp, which wasn’t affected by the flooding.
The family lived in Liberty, northeast of Houston.
Green is teaming up with other country stars for a special fundraising event, Pat Green & Friends Flood Relief Livestream, at Globe Life Field tonight at 6:30 p.m.
- Miranda Lambert
- Jon Pardi
- Dierks Bentley
- Corey Kent
- Casey Donahew
- Josh Abbott
- Ryan Bingham
- Eli Young Band
- Joe Nichols
- Kaitlin Butts
- Ty Myers
- Kevin Fowler
- Bob Schneider
The show will be streamed for free on YouTube and Pat Green’s Givebutter page. Viewers will be able to donate at any time.
All proceeds from the concert and livestream will be distributed to Kerr County Relief, TEXSAR and the Do It For Durrett Foundation via The Pat Green Foundation, directly benefiting the families affected by this heart-wrenching disaster.
More information about the livestream and links can be found here.
Remembering John and Julia Burgess
A funeral will be held for the Burgess family at 11 a.m. on Friday, July 18, at The Church of St. John the Divine in Houston.
When we visited Liberty on July 8, neighbors had left flowers and stuffed toys in front of the family’s home.
“The neighbors around here, we’ve all been praying and everything, and it’s just a sad, sad situation. I just can’t hardly believe it,” neighbor Winnie Taylor told KHOU 11.
The couple was inside their RV with two young sons, Jack and James, at a campsite in Ingram when the Guadalupe River rapidly rose early Friday while most people were sleeping.
According to relatives, John was later found dead. They said Julia’s body was recovered on Monday, July 8, but their boys remained missing as of Wednesday, July 16.
We learned Julia Burgess was a beloved teacher at Liberty Elementary, not far from the family’s home.
Liberty ISD shared a simple message on social media over the weekend that stated, “Our hearts are with the Burgess family — please continue to pray.”
“I think we’re all still trying to wrap our heads and our hearts around this situation,” Mark Linabury said.
Linabury is President and CEO of the East Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce, where he said John Burgess attended a luncheon two days before the flood.
Linabury shared a post with a photo of Burgess cutting a ribbon on his financial services business a couple of years ago.
“You always knew when John was in the room because he just had this smile that could light up any room,” Linabury told us.
Like many, he was praying for a miracle as the days passed.
“You know, you just want a magic wand and we don’t have one,” he said.