MARGARET BURNS

Margaret A. Burns [Christ], of Neenah, age 78, died peacefully at home, surrounded by her family, on Friday, October 25, 2013. She was a devotedly loving wife to her husband of 53 years, Jim, and an extraordinary mother to her children: Kathleen, Bob [Theresa], Mike [Nora] and Maureen [Peter Beck], and a delighted and proud grandmother of Abby, Patrick, Sean and Maggie. She was much loved by her brothers, Bob [Mary] Christ and Jim Christ, and by her sisters-in-law, Joanne Burns and Kathy [Bill] Feller and their families. Her dear cousin, Mary Dwan, shared many years of family and laughter. She will be missed by a host of nieces, nephews, extended family members, long-time neighbors, friends, parish community members and many other people she shined her light on along the way. Margaret was born to Austin and Mabel [Liner] Christ, both educators, on January 22, 1935, in New London, WI, and grew up in New London and the Catholic community of Most Precious Blood. There she began her life-long career, while still a teenager, as a church organist and pianist. Music was a central theme to her life " from her piano and clarinet playing as a child to being a drum major for her high school marching band. This led to her many years as a parish musician at St. Margaret Mary and St. Gabriel. After her children were raised she returned to UW-Oshkosh to earn a music minor. She more recently added her voice to the Charminade Womens Chorus. She studied elementary education at UW-Stevens Point and formed life-long friendships there with the Dizzy Dozen , 12 women with whom she lived during her college years, who continued to get together for lunches all these years. After college, she began teaching kindergarten in Green Bay, WI, and one evening while out with friends introduced herself to Jim Burns, who she had recognized from family gatherings many years earlier. They married on June 25, 1960 in New London, WI; honeymooned in Door County, WI a favorite destination over the years, and lived in Newnan, GA, for 2 ½ years, and then settled in Neenah in the spring of 1963. There they joined St. Gabriel the Archangel parish which has been a central focus for their family life and their life together to this day. She and Jim were committed to the lives of their children and volunteered many hours at school, sporting events, music and theater productions. Her life was dedicated to teaching and life-long learning. She started in the classroom and turned those experiences and passions toward her family " whether teaching them baking, cooking, gardening, plant and tree identification, music, sewing, knitting, needlepoint, weather and cloud formations " she was always instructing and did so up to her last days. There are many, from far and wide, who received countless thank you notes, cards, emails, phone calls, cookies or quilted or hand sewn gifts. She touched many lives through her varied interests and talents, her weekly schedule was often a testament to that. Her devotion to serving others included many hours volunteering with Jim for Loaves and Fishes, Community Table, Meals on Wheels, COTS, Fr. Carrs, numerous St. Gabriel events and others. The family would like to express their deep thanks to Drs. Peter Johnson, Zahid Dar and John Swanson and their staffs, as well as the staff at the Vince Lombardi Cancer Center in Oshkosh, ThedaCare Home Hospice nurse Noonie Hesch, and countless family and friends who provided care and support to Margaret, Jim and family in the last four years. Mass of Resurrection will be held at Noon on Wednesday, October 30, 2013, at St. Gabriel Catholic Church, 900 Geiger St., Neenah, with Fr. Larry Seidl and Fr. Richard Allen officiating. The visitation will be held at the church on Wednesday from 10:00 AM until the hour of the Mass. In lieu of flowers a memorial is being established for St. Gabriel Parish.