Patricia Yonker Burrows
June 9, 1928 — May 30, 2012
Patricia Yonker Burrows
PRESTON, IDAHO PATRICIA BURROWS
PRESTON- Patricia (Pat/Patt) June Yonker Burrows, 83, passed away peacefully on Wednesday morning, May 30, 2012, in the East Heritage Home in Preston, Idaho. She was born June 9, 1928, in Cleveland, Ohio, the youngest daughter of David Daniel and Louise Adella Perrin Yonker. Her siblings include Robert Allen, Donald Malcolm, William David, Marjorie Louise and Thomas Walter Yonker.
Her family moved to Phoenix, Arizona, because of her mother's health problems. Pat spent most of her free evenings at the local roller rink where she met Donald Wayne Burrows. They were married on April 20, 1947, in Phoenix, Arizona.
In 1952, Pat and Don moved to Illinois, near Don's parents. She loved to write and summarized her love story with Don: "Let's always love each other. No other man- Never another woman, that's the story!" Since her baptism on June 11, 1967, she was a faithful member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She waited lovingly and patiently for 34 years for her husband to join the LDS Church. Don was baptized on May 23, 2001. Their marriage was sealed in the Las Vegas Temple on May 25, 2002. They were married 59 A½ years on Earth and now their love story continues eternally.
She attended Memphis Elementary in Brooklyn suburb, Cleveland, Ohio; and Mill Grade School on the west side of Cleveland. In the fifth and sixth grade, she was the spelling champ of the school, received highest honors for a home garden plot for grade school children in the city, and was also an accomplished artist. She attended Horace Mann Junior High in Lakewood, Ohio, where she excelled in sports, music, art and received high honors in writing, especially poetry and short stories; and the last year in junior high, she was crowned queen of the annual school dance. It was during her junior high days that her love for roller skating began to blossom. She was old enough to join the teen group at the church and the group had frequent skating parties.
She graduated in the top ten percent of her class from Lakewood High School in 1946, where she excelled in basketball, baseball, archery and was bowling champion for two years. She was an editor of her school newspaper, The Lakewood High Times and she wrote many articles, poems and plays. She loved music. She had a beautiful alto voice and was very active in choir and the girls' choir during her school years and in her church. Between 1954 and 1955, while Pat and her family belonged to the Fowler Avenue Baptist Church in Danville, Illinois, the pastor of the church knew Pat could read music and asked her to be choir director and pianist. She could only ping out notes with her right hand, but she was delighted to accept this challenge; thus, began her journey in learning how to play the piano as well as the organ.
She also loved to crochet, create crafts and sew. She owned and operated the first handcraft shop, called the Curiosity Shoppe, in Robinson, Illinois from 1979-1991. The love of her life was operating and owning roller rinks with her husband. She was an accomplished roller skater especially in figure and dance. She began teaching roller skating in 1946 at age eighteen. They owned and operated rinks in Danville, Muncie, Hoopeston, Milford, Watseka, Robinson, Illinois and Preston, Idaho. They also operated two Dairy Queens, a Putt-Putt golf course and Custard Cup eating place, The Nook Restaurant, a pizza place and a miniature golf course.
Beginning in 1963, she became interested in health care food services in nursing homes. She became a registered certified dietary manager in Illinois and Indiana for seven nursing homes and was President of the Lincoln Trails District from 1988-89. She was honored and listed as an honored professional in the National Directory of Who's Who in Executives and Professionals in the 1995-96 edition. She also loved to cook and was famous for her many cakes that she made for weddings, friends and birthdays, and the birthday parties held in the roller rinks.
Pat is survived by a son, David Everett "Skip" (Susan) Burrows of Las Vegas, Nevada; and twins, Dale Wayne (Maddy) Burrows of Westfield, Indiana; and Gayle (Garth) Porter of Preston, Idaho; nine grandchildren, twenty-six great-grandchildren, a brother, William Yonker of Mesa, Arizona; a brother-in-law, John Burrows of Danville, Illinois; and by many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband, Don, her parents, a grandson, Austin Wayne Burrows, three brothers, Robert, David and Donald Yonker and by a sister, Marjorie cain.
She wrote the following poem in 1945 during World War II:
Prayer
Dear God in Heaven above
Teach me of things I want to love,
Of all things good and pure and kind
And may the bad things, I unwind.
Bless my home, my mom and dad,
Brothers and sisters, and make me glad
I am alive and safe today
To help others on their way.
May God bless and keep our boys
Who not long ago did love their toys,
Now fighting, dying for victory,
For mom and dad, sis and me.
Pat wrote in her journal: "My life is dedicated for the love of serving people, love of roller skating, and balanced by full Christian beliefs and love of family".
On behalf of the family, we express our special thanks to Jeannie (niece) and Larry Layne, Muscle Shoals, Alabama, and the staff and residents of the Heritage Home; Thelma Roley from Hospice, who went above and beyond care giving; Gina Hartley who went more than the second mile; members of the Legacy 3rd Branch Presidency and Relief Society; Preston 6th Ward Relief Society; and to all those who shared their kindness in thought and deed. For those who knew Pat, Pat has finally "pulled the final Pat". At the end of her life, when she only had enough strength to say a few words, she told Thelma Roley: "You get an A+". Mom, you get an A+ for being an inspiration in our lives. We love you forever and will someday meet again.
Memorial services will be held on Pat's 84th birthday, Saturday, June 9, 2012, at 11:00 a.m. in the Preston South Stake Center, 55 E. 1st S., Preston, Idaho, with President Mike Dansie, Legacy 3rd Branch, conducting. Friends may call Saturday from 10-10:45 a.m. at the stake center. Memories and condolences may be shared with the family at www.webbmortuary.com
PRESTON- Patricia (Pat/Patt) June Yonker Burrows, 83, passed away peacefully on Wednesday morning, May 30, 2012, in the East Heritage Home in Preston, Idaho. She was born June 9, 1928, in Cleveland, Ohio, the youngest daughter of David Daniel and Louise Adella Perrin Yonker. Her siblings include Robert Allen, Donald Malcolm, William David, Marjorie Louise and Thomas Walter Yonker.
Her family moved to Phoenix, Arizona, because of her mother's health problems. Pat spent most of her free evenings at the local roller rink where she met Donald Wayne Burrows. They were married on April 20, 1947, in Phoenix, Arizona.
In 1952, Pat and Don moved to Illinois, near Don's parents. She loved to write and summarized her love story with Don: "Let's always love each other. No other man- Never another woman, that's the story!" Since her baptism on June 11, 1967, she was a faithful member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She waited lovingly and patiently for 34 years for her husband to join the LDS Church. Don was baptized on May 23, 2001. Their marriage was sealed in the Las Vegas Temple on May 25, 2002. They were married 59 A½ years on Earth and now their love story continues eternally.
She attended Memphis Elementary in Brooklyn suburb, Cleveland, Ohio; and Mill Grade School on the west side of Cleveland. In the fifth and sixth grade, she was the spelling champ of the school, received highest honors for a home garden plot for grade school children in the city, and was also an accomplished artist. She attended Horace Mann Junior High in Lakewood, Ohio, where she excelled in sports, music, art and received high honors in writing, especially poetry and short stories; and the last year in junior high, she was crowned queen of the annual school dance. It was during her junior high days that her love for roller skating began to blossom. She was old enough to join the teen group at the church and the group had frequent skating parties.
She graduated in the top ten percent of her class from Lakewood High School in 1946, where she excelled in basketball, baseball, archery and was bowling champion for two years. She was an editor of her school newspaper, The Lakewood High Times and she wrote many articles, poems and plays. She loved music. She had a beautiful alto voice and was very active in choir and the girls' choir during her school years and in her church. Between 1954 and 1955, while Pat and her family belonged to the Fowler Avenue Baptist Church in Danville, Illinois, the pastor of the church knew Pat could read music and asked her to be choir director and pianist. She could only ping out notes with her right hand, but she was delighted to accept this challenge; thus, began her journey in learning how to play the piano as well as the organ.
She also loved to crochet, create crafts and sew. She owned and operated the first handcraft shop, called the Curiosity Shoppe, in Robinson, Illinois from 1979-1991. The love of her life was operating and owning roller rinks with her husband. She was an accomplished roller skater especially in figure and dance. She began teaching roller skating in 1946 at age eighteen. They owned and operated rinks in Danville, Muncie, Hoopeston, Milford, Watseka, Robinson, Illinois and Preston, Idaho. They also operated two Dairy Queens, a Putt-Putt golf course and Custard Cup eating place, The Nook Restaurant, a pizza place and a miniature golf course.
Beginning in 1963, she became interested in health care food services in nursing homes. She became a registered certified dietary manager in Illinois and Indiana for seven nursing homes and was President of the Lincoln Trails District from 1988-89. She was honored and listed as an honored professional in the National Directory of Who's Who in Executives and Professionals in the 1995-96 edition. She also loved to cook and was famous for her many cakes that she made for weddings, friends and birthdays, and the birthday parties held in the roller rinks.
Pat is survived by a son, David Everett "Skip" (Susan) Burrows of Las Vegas, Nevada; and twins, Dale Wayne (Maddy) Burrows of Westfield, Indiana; and Gayle (Garth) Porter of Preston, Idaho; nine grandchildren, twenty-six great-grandchildren, a brother, William Yonker of Mesa, Arizona; a brother-in-law, John Burrows of Danville, Illinois; and by many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband, Don, her parents, a grandson, Austin Wayne Burrows, three brothers, Robert, David and Donald Yonker and by a sister, Marjorie cain.
She wrote the following poem in 1945 during World War II:
Prayer
Dear God in Heaven above
Teach me of things I want to love,
Of all things good and pure and kind
And may the bad things, I unwind.
Bless my home, my mom and dad,
Brothers and sisters, and make me glad
I am alive and safe today
To help others on their way.
May God bless and keep our boys
Who not long ago did love their toys,
Now fighting, dying for victory,
For mom and dad, sis and me.
Pat wrote in her journal: "My life is dedicated for the love of serving people, love of roller skating, and balanced by full Christian beliefs and love of family".
On behalf of the family, we express our special thanks to Jeannie (niece) and Larry Layne, Muscle Shoals, Alabama, and the staff and residents of the Heritage Home; Thelma Roley from Hospice, who went above and beyond care giving; Gina Hartley who went more than the second mile; members of the Legacy 3rd Branch Presidency and Relief Society; Preston 6th Ward Relief Society; and to all those who shared their kindness in thought and deed. For those who knew Pat, Pat has finally "pulled the final Pat". At the end of her life, when she only had enough strength to say a few words, she told Thelma Roley: "You get an A+". Mom, you get an A+ for being an inspiration in our lives. We love you forever and will someday meet again.
Memorial services will be held on Pat's 84th birthday, Saturday, June 9, 2012, at 11:00 a.m. in the Preston South Stake Center, 55 E. 1st S., Preston, Idaho, with President Mike Dansie, Legacy 3rd Branch, conducting. Friends may call Saturday from 10-10:45 a.m. at the stake center. Memories and condolences may be shared with the family at www.webbmortuary.com
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Patricia Yonker Burrows, please visit our flower store.
Guestbook
Visits: 13
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the
Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
