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(Jan. 28, 1925 - Oct. 28, 2013)
Anne Patricia Burns, 88, of Cody, died peacefully Monday, Oct. 28, 2013, after a struggle with progressive heart failure.
Anne was a Cody resident for the past 16 years, and previously a longtime resident of Rock Springs.
She was born Jan. 28, 1925, in Rock Springs, the oldest daughter of Tony and Francis Begovich. She attended schools in Rock Springs and graduated from Rock Springs High School in 1944.
Anne married P.H. “Pat” Burns, of Reliance, on Sept. 6, 1947, after Pat returned from serving in the U.S. Army in Europe in World War II.
She initially worked at McCurtain Motors as a clerk, which is how she and Pat met when he came to buy his first car, a 1948 Desoto Sport Coupe.
She was later hired by the Rock Springs Rocket newspaper and moved up quickly to become the society editor. She thoroughly enjoyed that position as a result of the many people in Rock Springs she got to know and write about over the years.
Her early interests included baking, recipe collecting, rose gardening, bridge clubs, and sewing clubs, in both Rock Springs and later in Cody, where she met many new friends through those interests. Anne and Pat enjoyed travel both in the U.S. and to foreign countries, especially Yugoslavia and Ireland, from where their parents emigrated to Wyoming.
Later in life after moving to Cody, she thoroughly enjoyed watching University of Wyoming college sports, particularly football and women’s basketball. She adopted the Denver Broncos as her favorite NFL team, and would share stories of the games on Sundays with her children, who were also Broncos fans.
She was fondly known as “Grammie” to many people in the community.
Anne was preceded in death by her husband Pat in 1997, and sisters Mary (Begovich) Kure, Emma (Begovich) Lund and Katie Begovich.
She is survived by brothers Marko Begovich of Rock Springs and Matt Begovich and sister-in-law Lois of El Cajon, Calif.; son Patrick Burns and daughter-in-law Diane (Deneley) Burns of Goodyear, Ariz., and Cody; daughter Karen Burns Carney and son-in-law Mike Carney of Cody; daughter Sandy (Burns) Steele of Denver; granddaughter Karina (Carney) Henderson, her husband Bill Henderson, and great-granddaughter Lily Henderson of Cibilo, Texas; granddaughter Shannan Steele and her husband Joseph Bearss, and great-granddaughters Riley and Darby Bearss of Dacono, Colo.; and grandson Gabe Steele, wife Kristi, and great-grandson Zane of Golden, Colo. In addition, on her husband Pat’s side of the family, in-laws Tom and Carol Burns, Houston, Texas; Robert and Jane Burns of Hanford, Calif.; Margaret (Burns) Pearson of Billings, Mont.; and Jim and Judie Burns of San Ramon, Calif.; and their various children and other extended family members.
According to her wishes, Anne was able to be an organ tissue donor.
Following cremation, a memorial service will be held at St. Anthony’s Catholic Church in Cody on Tuesday, Nov. 26, at 10 a.m. Family graveside services will be held later in Rock Springs in June 2014 when Anne will be interred alongside her husband of 49 years.
The family requests memorial donations to St. Joseph’s Children’s Home, 1419 South Main, Torrington, WY, 82240. Cremation services have been entrusted to Ballard Funeral Home.
