Jessie Burns

Funeral Services for Jessie May Donald Burns, 83 of Ekalaka Montana will 2:00 p. m. Thursday, July 6, 2006 at the Ekalaka Bible Church with Pastor Wallace Fox officiating. Burial will follow in the family lot in the Beaver Lodge Cemetery at Ekalaka. Visitation will be Wednesday, July 5, 2006 from 2:30 p. m. to 8:00 p. m. at Stevenson Funeral Home in Baker, Montana and one hour prior to service at the church in Ekalaka. Jessie passed away Saturday, July 1, 2006 at Dahl Memorial Health Care in Ekalaka, Montana. George and Elizabeth (Taylor) Donald, Jessie?s parents were born, raised and married in Scotland. It was from there they immigrated to America. When they left New York they headed westward and finally settled down to homestead in the Ridge Community in Carter County. Jessie was born on May 19, 1923 the 10th of 12 children to George and Elizabeth. During her grade school years she attended country school. In 1939 her family moved to Ekalaka where she attended Carter County High School, graduating with the Class of 1943. After graduation, Jessie went to Portland, Oregon where for two years she worked in the Swan Island Ship Yard Bond Office. She came back to Ekalaka in 1945 and worked as a bookkeeper in the M. Summers Company until 1947. She then worked as a clerk register in the courthouse until she met Richard ?Dick? Ralph Burns. On June 25, 1950 Jessie and Dick were married in Ekalaka. Dick bought a ranch from his uncle, Floyd Ellis, and together they ranched and raised a daughter, Nancy Lou. In 1992, they retired. They sold their ranch, moved to Ekalaka and bought a house at 111 East Park Street. Dick passed away on March 10, 1997, leaving Jessie May a widow until her death. Jessie May was a member of the American Legion Auxiliary and the Mill Iron Community Club. She became a member of the Union Congregational Church in Ekalaka on April 6, 1950. She loved gardening and cross-stitching. She loved traveling with Dick to see his family in Oregon, Louisiana and Mississippi. They even took a trip to Florida to Disney World and the Epcot Center!Survivors include her daughter, Nancy Lou Burns, Chiclayo, Peru; her sister, Lola Bair, Miles City, MT and numerous nephews and nieces. Her parents, her husband, Dick Burns, six brothers,: Bill, Jinks, John, Stuart, Lem and Charlie; three sisters: Betty, Isabell and Mary, and some of her nephews and nieces precede her in death. Her loving daughter, Nancy Lou in memory of her Mom, drew the drawing on the front of the Memorial Cards.


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Burial Date: July 6, 2006
Funeral Home Ekalaka, MT

Funeral Service: Ekalaka Bible Church, Ekalaka, MT