All Obituaries from Tollefson Funeral Home

Shirley Burns

Name: Visitation
Start: 08/08/2017 04:00 PM
End: 08/08/2017 06:00 PM
Location: Tollefson Funeral Home

February 21, 1928 — August 4, 2017

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Shirley E. Burns, age 89 of Grafton, ND passed away Friday, August 4, 2017 at the Unity Medical Center of Grafton.

Shirley E. Torkelson was born February 21, 1928 in Grafton, ND, the daughter of the late G. Leonard and Helen (Groven) Torkelson. She attended Sinkler grade school, rural Grafton and graduated from Grafton High School in 1946. She attended Mayville State Teachers College for a summer session. Shirley was united in marriage to Marvin Burns on July 21, 1946. The couple made their home on the family farm near Auburn. She was a stay at home mom until 1957 when she went to work at the J.C. Penny store. She worked there full or part time until the store closed. She was also a Home Interior Representative for a number of years. Marvin and Shirley wintered in Arizona for many years, where they went to dance at the clubhouse and played cards with friends. She enjoyed spending time with her children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and anyone else who stopped to visit.

She was a member of the St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church of Grafton, a charter member of the Double M. Homemakers Club and a member of the St. Thomas Senior Citizens Club where she enjoyed playing cards.

Shirley is survived by her children: Gay (Tom) Bohnet, Firestone, CO; George “Buzz” (Mary) Burns, St. Thomas, ND; Lon (Debbie French) Burns, Grafton, ND; Todd (Traci) Burns, Auburn, ND; Marty (Cindy) Burns, Grafton, ND; Blaine (Shammie Gray) Burns, Grand Forks, ND; daughter-in-law, Terry Burns, Grafton, ND; 19 grandchildren, 20 great grandchildren; sister, Lois Redmann, Yuma, AZ; brother, David (Stella) Torkelson, Corpus Christi, TX; sister-in-law, JoAnn Torkelson, Madison Lake, MN. Several nieces and nephews also survive. She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, son Gary, granddaughter Allison, sister Jean Johnson and brothers: Lowell, Myron and George.

Mass of Christian Burial will be Wednesday, August 9, 2017 at 11:30 A.M. at the St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church of Grafton. Visitation will be Tuesday from 4:00-6:00 P.M. with a prayer service at 6:00 P.M. at the Tollefson Funeral Home of Grafton. Friends may also call at the church on Wednesday for one hour prior to the service. Interment will be at the St. John’s Catholic Cemetery.

To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Shirley Burns, please visit our flower store.

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