Payette County ID Archives Obituaries.....Burns, Mary O. 1930 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/id/idfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Cheryl Hanson ihansonb@fmtc.com April 3, 2006, 5:46 pm Payette Enterprise 9-4-1930 Payette Enterprise Payette, Idaho Thursday, September 4, 1930 OBITUARY Mrs. Mary Owen Burns, a pioneer of the Payette valley has passed away. While visiting Salisbury, England, Mrs. Burns was accidentally struck by a motorcycle on July 31, 1930, and died twenty-four hours later as a result of cerebral concussion. Mrs. Burns did not regain consciousness after the fatal accident. Mary Flagg Owen was born in the Parish of St. Pancras, London, England on December 8, 1858. Her father, Lemuel Daw Owen, a civil engineer of Hanover, New Hampshire, had been sent to London in 1855 to introduce some engineering machinery. Here the family lived until 1861, when they returned to the United States and moved to Chicago, Ill., where Mary Owen lived for the next thirty- four years. In 1876 she graduated from (unreadable) View high school and the following year she accepted a position in the Chicago public schools, for eight years she taught at the Agassiz school and for seven years she was principal of the Hawthorne school. In 1889 Mary Flagg Owen married Jabez B. Burns, a dentist in Chicago, In 1895, becoming interested in the New Plymouth colonization, the family moved from Chicago to New Plymouth, where they were among the early settlers. The family moved to Payette in 1900 where they resided for the next 16 years. During her residence in Payette Mrs. Burns took a very active part in the community life. She was a member of the Portia club and chairman of the first library committee which started the present Payette public library. Large donations of books from Mrs. Burn's Chicago friends helped to make possible the beginning of the library. Always a devoted churchwoman, Mrs. Burns was an active member of St. James' Episcopal church, serving as organist for many years, president of St. James' Guild and active in Sunday school work. Mrs. Burns was a loyal member of the Order of the Eastern Star, in 1907, she was worthy matron of Loraine Chapter and for many years she was organist. In 1916 upon her husband's appointment as assistant adjutant general, Mrs. Burns moved with her family to Boise, Idaho, where they resided for eight years. during these years Mrs. Burns was a communicant of St. Michael's cathedral and a member of the Women's auxiliary. She became an active member of the Columbian club, a member of the Good citizenship club, serving as president of that organization. She transferred her membership from Loraine Chapter to Adah Chapter and served as organist for several years. In 1924 the family moved to Redwood City, Calif., where they now reside. Major J. B. Burns passed away February 8, 1928. Mrs. Burns has been very active in her new home. For the past two years she has been a member of the board of trustees of the Redwood City Public Library, serving as secretary-treasurer. She was a member of the Redwood City Woman's Club and chairman of the literary section. Mrs. Burns has also been active in St. Peter's Episcopal church. Early in June of this year Mrs. Burns left for Europe for a five months' trip. It has always been a desire of her life to visit her birthplace. She had traveled throughout Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and England before the fatal accident. The funeral was held in Salisbury Cathedral, Bishop Parsons of California read the Episcopal service assisted by Canon Farrar of Salisbury. The service at the grave was conducted by Rev. Elphick, chaplain of the Salisbury infirmary. The congregation included English friends, Americans who came to England on the same liner as the deceased and also American tourists passing through Salisbury on that day. Many beautiful floral offerings showed the sympathy of the relatives and friends of the deceased and the thoughtfulness of the residents of Salisbury. Interment was in the London Road cemetery at Salisbury. Mrs. Burns leaves five children to mourn her passing, James Keith Burns of Boise, Idaho; Robert Owen Burns of Greensboro, North Carolina; Mrs. Jessie Feldscher, Mrs. Mary Partridge and Miss Angelina Burns all of Redwood City, California. Mrs. Burns also leaves seven granddaughters and three grandsons. Although not one of the earliest pioneers, Mrs. Burns saw the growth and development of the Payette valley from a sagebrush plain to a prosperous farming community. The loss of Mrs. Burns will be greatly felt by all who came in contact with her sincere and gracious personality. She was enjoying excellent health and felt a very great interest in all civic affairs. She was devoted to music and always prominent in musical circles. Mrs. Burns was a most devoted mother and grandmother and she leaves nieces and nephews, girlhood friends in Chicago as well as friends of many years in Idaho who will join her bereaved family in mourning the loss of so noble a woman. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/id/payette/obits/b/burns1722gob.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/idfiles/ File size: 5.4 Kb