MEMORIAL

My uncle, Burr Basil Bronson, died January 22, 1993. His daughter Joan and I hosted a BRONSON FAMILY REUNION in June of 1992. Uncle Burr and Aunt Margaret (Peg) were the honored guests. Many of Uncle Burr's nephews; nieces; grandnieces and nephews; and even a great-grandniece and nephew were in attendance. This was the last time many of us saw, talked with, and were hugged by Uncle Burr.

The following is the obituary read at Uncle Burr's memorial service:

Times were hard, and it was difficult to provide for seven children, so when Burr was not quite four years old the family moved to eastern Montana to homestead land. It was dry-land farming area on the frontier. Those were very difficult years financially, but full of love and adventure. Burr lived here with his family until he finished grade school. Then in order to go to high school, he moved to the state of Washington to live with his oldest brother. They went to church at Puyallup, Washington. It was at church, in 1924, that he met his future bride, Margaret Clarke, who had recently moved there from Spy Hill, Saskatchewan, Canada. In his words, "As we came up the walk, she stood on the front steps all dressed in white and I knew it was an angel. I've never forgotten it."

Burr moved to Redlands, California to live with his parents who had moved there. He graduated from Redlands High School in 1926.

Burr wanted to go to Graceland College, the church college in Lamoni, Iowa, but had no funds. He and a couple of friends drove a 1921 Model T Ford from California to Lamoni, Iowa, adventures and misadventures along the way. He arrived with less than $100 to enroll in college. By working long hours at odd jobs he was able to pay for one year of school there.

Back home in Redlands, California, Burr worked in a tire shop. He married Margaret Clarke at the RLDS Church in San Bernardino, California on March 25, 1928. A few months later, the couple moved back to Washington. Barbara was born in Seattle in March of 1929. Then in 1931 Jack was born.

Burr had a good job at the North Coast Transportation Company, but this was during the Depression, and he was laid off from his job. Other jobs were just not available. In 1935, desperate for work, the family moved to Texas County, Missouri to live on a little rocky farm near Burr's two brothers. Here they managed to scratch out a living and feed the family. It was while living there that Joan was born in 1937.

World War II was declared and a general exodus of church friends and relatives began as people left the area for more lucrative defense jobs. Burr's family, wanting to move closer to Zion, moved to a farm south of Knob Noster, Missouri, in 1944, where he farmed and did some carpenter work. Their youngest child, Richard Burr, was born in 1945 while they lived on the Knob Noster farm.

Having lived in the rocky Ozarks, they hadn't realized how difficult travel would be over the two miles of mud roads to get out to the firm gravel roads. In 1946 another move was made at this time to a farm north of Warrensburg, and on good roads.

Always wanting to better living conditions for his family, they moved to a larger farm near Pittsville, Missouri where they lived for 23 years. Burr farmed and worked full time as a carpenter in the Independence area from 1951 to 1972.

Church was always an important part of Burr's life. He was baptized in the RLDS Church at Andes, Montana, at the age of eight in an alkali coulee pond. He was ordained a priest August 31, 1930, while still living in Washington. While living in south Missouri, he helped organize a thriving branch that built a little log church. He was ordained an elder shortly before moving from south Missouri to Knob Noster. Burr was ordained a High Priest in Warrensburg and was placed on the Stake High Council. With the exception of a few years, he served on the Stake High Council from 1948 until 1983, when he was ordained an Evangelist Patriarch. Throughout the years he was always active in church work, serving as church school teacher, church school director, assistant pastor, pastor, and a member of the Stake High Council.

After retirement, Burr and Peg sold the farm at Pittsville and moved to their present home near the Hutchinson farm in Henry County, Missouri, to be close to their daughter, Barbara. During the 20 years at this location, Burr remained busy with Church activities, attending many reunions and retreats, accepting preaching assignments in every congregation throughout the Stake and remaining active in his home congregation in Clinton, Missouri.

Although he became ill in 1989, Burr outlived the doctor's expectations by three years. He once stated he was given additional time on earth because he had more of the Lord's work to do. He served in the office of Evangelist Patriarch from the time of his ordination, in 1983, until his death on January 22, 1993, at Western Missouri Medical Center in Warrensburg, Missouri at the age of 84.

Burr spent many enjoyable hours working in the flower and vegetable gardens. He loved the time he spent tilling and sowing the earth; but his real joy came when sharing the produce with others. He was an artist with walnut and oak. Many family and friends are proud owners of beautiful, priceless gifts from his woodwork shop.

Burr and Peg enjoyed traveling. They visited Alaska, Hawaii, Canada, Mexico and all the states in between, except one.

Burr touched the lives of many people during his life. Because of his love of life and sly sense of humor, he attracted and provided love and guidance to many. From the 4-H play nights that he organized and directed in the Ozarks, to the numerous nieces, nephews and foster children who lived in Burr and Peg's home, his influence was widely felt.

He was a hugger and not afraid to show his emotions, whether joy or tears.

Burr was preceded in death by his parents and brothers and sisters. He is survived by his wife, Peg, of the home; four children, Barbara Hutchinson of Henry County, Missouri; Jack Bronson of Racine, Wisconsin; Joan Cox of Stockton, Missouri; and Dick Bronson of Lee's Summit, Missouri. He also leaves eleven grandchildren and fourteen great-grandchildren.

His children state, "This couple, our parents, gave us two priceless gifts. They gave us life and they showed us how to live it."