Valdah Lois Burns was called home at the age of 96 on August 30, 2014 in Kennesaw, Georgia.
She was born March, 8, 1918 on the Pember farm southwest of Ness City, Kansas and was the daughter of Irvin A. and Minnie (Koester) Pember. She lived most of her younger life in Ness County, Kansas, most of her married life in Dodge City, Kansas and her later years in Kennesaw, Georgia where she moved with her husband to be near family in 1989. She always considered home as the homestead “the farm” in Ness County.
She was a devoted and caring daughter, wife, mother and grandmother and great grandmother.
She was a member of the United Methodist Church, Ness City, Kansas, United Methodist Church, Dodge City, Kansas and the First United Methodist Church, Marietta, Georgia in her later years.
Valdah married Waverly Franklin Burns in on March 26, 1944. Waverly and Valdah were married 48 years.
She was preceded in death by her husband Waverly on March 15, 1992; her brother Laverne; and three sisters, Mary, Dorothy and Oma.
Survivors include Valdah’s brother, Arthur I. Pember, of Ness City, Kansas; her son Ronald, and his wife, Marlena Burns, of Overland Park, Kansas; her son, Robert, and wife, Melanie Burns, of Acworth, Georgia; her six grandchildren (Derrick, Courtney, Sarah, Brendan, Colby and Max) and two great-grandchildren (James and Ava).
Since her parents didn’t have the opportunity to finish school, they made certain that all of their children attended and graduated from high school. Valdah attended the Pember School, a country school which was located on her grandfather’s land, through the eighth grade. She then went on to attend Ness City High School and graduated in the class of 1937. One of her first jobs was teaching in a “one room country school”. Part of her work history included working for Aero Parts in Wichita, Kansas during World War II and the Medical Center in Dodge City until she retired in 1985.
Friends may call on Wednesday, September 3, 2014 from 1:00 P.M. until 9:00 P.M. with the family present from 7-9 P.M.
Funeral service will be held at the United Methodist Church, Ness City, Kansas on Thursday, September 4, 2014 at 11 A.M, graveside services will follow at the Ness City Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that Valdah be honored with a donation to one of the following memorials: American Kidney Fund (AKF), www.kidneyfund.org/give-now/, American Heart Association, https://donate.heart.org or the United Methodist Church, 316 N. Pennsylvania Avenue, Ness City KS 67560.
