Mark Dale Burton

Home: Wurtsboro, New York USA
Place of Birth: Wellfleet, Nebraska USA


Obituary

Mark Dale Burton

Wurtsboro, NY

On July 29th we lost a piece of our history as Mark Dale Burton passed away at his home in Wurtsboro, NY.

Mark Dale Burton (McGee) was born in Wellfleet, Nebraska on September 17 1926. His parents, Harry and Daisy Bell Burton, homesteaded in a sod hut and when he was four they moved to a ranch in Yuma, Colorado. Mark rode bareback to his one room school house and often hunted rabbits to help feed the family. They weathered the Depression, the dust bowl and grasshopper invasions. Despite the hard times he still wanted to be a farmer and won many 4 H ribbons. He never lost his love of gardening.

WWII intervened. At seventeen he wanted to join his older brothers and defend the United States. Rejected by the other services for a missing finger he joined the Merchant Marines, serving in the Pacific. After his discharge like many veterans at that time, he worked at any job he could find; selling magazine subscriptions, working the Texas oil fields, building hydroelectric dams, and finally carpenter's apprentice. Later he had his own construction firm in Long Island , NY

Mark met his first love Louise Rauso of Brooklyn NY. They married and he followed her back east. Eventually settling down in Floral Park LI and having three children, Mark Jr, Guy, and Diane Burton. There are five grandchildren and one great-granddaughter. He said his children were his "best friends".

Single again in 1985 he met and married Justina Hendricks. After retirement in 1992 they moved to the Basha Kill in Wurtsboro, restoring their old house, traveling the United States and to his great regret only missing Alaska. Lesser known National Parks were his favorite destinations. "No people and lots of animals"

Mark loved to share the bounty of his vegetable gardens and fruit trees and having the grandchildren come to visit including Justina's granddaughter who spent summers with them.

As his Parkinson's progressed moving and speech became difficult. He never complained greeting everyone with a smile. He was loved and will be missed.

There will be a party to celebrate Mark's life on Saturday, September 17, 2016 at 1 PM at the VFW, 26 VFW Road, Wurtsboro, NY 12790.

Donations should be made to the Wurtsboro Community Church Food Bank, PO Box 487, Wurtsboro, NY 12790 or the Veterans of Foreign Wars of Wurtsboro, PO Box 410, Wurtsboro, NY 12790.

Funeral arrangements by Ramsay's Funeral Homes Inc. Monticello, NY. To send the Burton family an online condolence, please visit www.ramsaysfuneralhome.com .