September 17, 1935 — July 5, 2024
Sister Mary Barbara, Barbara Burzynski of Gaylord, Michigan, age 88, religious 68 years, entered eternal life on July 5, 2024, at Trinity Health Hospital in Livonia, Michigan.
From the beautiful city of Gaylord, Barbara, the seventh of nine children, was born at home like the rest of her siblings: Angeline+, John+, Anthony+, Marie (Regina)+, Raymond+, Dolores, SM Barbara+, Florian, and Joan. Her parents, Frank and Victoria, were both from Pennsylvania.
Baptized and confirmed at St. Mary Church in Gaylord, the family lived on a farm, and from kindergarten through 8th grade, the children trekked to a one-room schoolhouse 1½ miles away. On cold, snowy winter days the children were invited to stop at the neighbors halfway home to warm up and have hot chocolate. Sometimes, when the weather was bad, her brother would bring the horse and sled to pick them up.
The family raised cows, chickens, goats, pigs, horses, and a dog. With a choice between milking the cows or washing dishes, milking the cows and goats won out! All the children collected the eggs and planted corn, potatoes, cucumbers, and other vegetables. In September, digging and crating potatoes, sorting cucumbers to take to town, and collecting hay for storage in
the animal barn kept the whole family busy. Strawberries grew in abundance and became a common dessert with shortcake, and fresh cream from the cows also provided the churned butter. A pumpkin patch furnished not only “Jack-O-Lanterns” for Halloween but also pumpkin pie throughout the year.
With so many siblings and living in God’s country, recreation took many twists and turns. Playing cards or polka dancing after dishes was common. Baseball was played in summer months on Sundays following Mass – after everyone changed clothes. But winter months provided the best recreation and games: sledding, tobogganing, cross-country skiing, ice- skating on a pond next to the house, building snowmen and forts – the children had endless fun and exercise.
Barbara attended St. Mary’s High School in Gaylord, and for two years after graduation, she worked in a factory and as a waitress at a ski lodge. Taught by Dominican Sisters in high school, Barbara was drawn to religious life.
