Mary Ann Burningham

Mary Ann Burningham

Mary Ann Ratcliffe Burningham, 85, passed away Sunday August 8, 2021. Born to Ira Hale Ratcliffe and Nora Lee Smith Ratcliffe in Roanoke, Virginia on February 15, 1936.

Mary Ann was the 7th of 11 children. Shortly after her birth, her family sacrificed to take her and her older siblings on a long road trip to Salt Lake City to be sealed in the Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Her formative years were spent in Garden City, a suburb of Roanoke on the family home and farm. In the summer of 1949 Mary Ann accompanied her then larger family in a permanent move to Bountiful, Utah. The family was well received with neighborly kindness. Mary Ann found numerous opportunities with her siblings to work summer jobs in the fields of family farms in the Bountiful neighborhoods. Babysitting invitations were abundant in her teenage years.

Mary Ann loved culture and was taught by her older brother Irv, how to skillfully dance, as community dances were frequent. Having danced with many competent partners, she once danced with Lee Burningham, perhaps at a church dance, and was not very impressed with his dancing. But Lee impressed her with other virtues that led to courtship and marriage in June of 1953. They settled in a property purchased with the “signing” of a handshake, soon after having 6 boys born to their then busy home and property on 400 North. Gardens and fruit trees were family traditions kept. Mary Ann took great pride as an intense perfectionist with the annual bottling of fruit, receiving much praise from sisters at how beautiful her peaches appeared in the pantry.

Mary Ann was made a young widow in November of 1981 when Lee passed away from injuries sustained in a vocational accident. She endured and pursued her education in Liberal Arts at the University of Utah. Later, she received teaching credentials at Weber State University. Her life was focused on her family and her love for teaching children, from her 31 years working in the church Primary organization, to her career as a gifted substitute teacher, eventually to her retirement at age 81.

She will be fondly remembered for taking her granddaughters to theatrical plays and operas. She deeply loved her family both in being a mother and grandmother and cherished being around them often. She will also be remembered for writing letters often to her children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews, and great grandchildren. She loved reading, poetry, enjoyed arts, and relished studying history. Books and learning were her passion. She found solace in her flower and vegetable gardens, appreciative of Gods creations and His plan for her.

She is survived by 4 siblings, 5 sons, 21 grandchildren and 34 great grandchildren.

Graveside services will be held Friday, August 13, 2021 at Bountiful City Cemetery, 2224 S. 200 W.  Friends may visit family Thursday, August 12th from 6-8 pm at Lindquist’s Bountiful Mortuary, 727 N. 400 E. and Fri. 11:30 am-12:30pm at the mortuary prior to the graveside services. Condolences may be shared at www.lindquistmortuary.com.

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