Mary I. Bursick

Mary I. Bursick, age 100, died Thursday morning, April 13, at Huron Medical Center.
She was born January 18, 1906 in Youngstown, OH to the late Ande and Mary (Tartarka) Barabas. Mary spent her early childhood in Youngstown where her father worked in the steel mills. In the late teens the Barabas family moved to the Ownedale area. Mary began working for $3.00 a week, at the George Neinstedt Hotel (now the Hitching Post) in Elkton at age 13, when her father became ill and subsequently died in 1923 making her the sole support of the family. The family moved to Pigeon where Mary met Adam Harry Bursick whom she married on Nov. 24, 1927 at St. Francis Borgia Catholic Church. During the 30s, Mary managed the Sol Schlucter grocery store before moving to a farm in Oliver Township in 1938. She subsequently worked in Pigeon for Joe Maust's Supermarket, the Niebel Brothers grocery store, the Gamble store, and finally the Reimann Snyder furniture store. She retired from the furniture story about 1976 after working there for nearly 15 years. Mary lived on the farm in Elkton after retirement until 1991 when she moved to Imlay City while recovering from hip surgery to be nearer her daughter's family. In 2003 at age 97, Mary moved to Country Gardens in Pigeon, and then in 2005 to Courtney Manor in Bad Axe. During her retirement years, Mary enjoyed traveling to the Canadian Rockies, and to Montreal, and she especially enjoyed her 4 grandchildren who spent many summer days with her on the farm. She was a lifetime member, and the oldest member, of St Francis Borgia Parish and the Altar Society.
Surviving are her daughter, Dolores (Jim) Walker of Imlay City; four grandchildren James (Caren) Walker of West LaFayette, IN, Peggy (Pete) Ondersma of Capac, Ann (Bruce) Downey of Capac and Paul (Beth) Walker of Imlay City; nine great grandchildren, James, Michael, Mark, Cristen, Matthew, Joseph, Cathrine, Logan and Savannah; two sisters, Helen, Schledjeski and Margaret (Bill) Buchholz of Rochester Hills; her sister-in-law, Myrna Barabas of Vassar and several nieces and nephews.
A funeral mass will be celebrated 11:00 AM Tuesday, April 18, at St. Francis Borgia Catholic Church, Pigeon with burial in the church cemetery.
Friends may call at the church after 10 AM Tuesday where a Rosary will began at 10:30 AM.
Memorial may be directed to the church.