Mary Margaret (Darling) Burton was born in the wee hours of the morning of a foggy October 4th in 1929 at Queen of the Angels Hospital located in Hollywood, California. She was the second oldest daughter and child of Frank and Margaret Darling of Los Angeles, California. She lived with her sisters, Patricia and Barbara on Haas Avenue until the family moved to 7019 South Arlington Avenue in 1935. In 1943, a fourth sister was added to the family named Cecelia who nicknamed Mary Margaret, MIMI..
Mary attended St. Anselm's Grammar School and St.Mary's Academy High School. She graduated from high school in 1948.
She worked as a nurse's aide at the hospital where she was born and kept house and looked after her youngest sister.
In 1950, she entered nurses training at St. Mary's Hospital in Tucson, Arizona. She graduated from there in 1953 and got her first job at Daniel Freeman Hospital in 1954. She met her husband, Richard (Greg) Burton in 1957 and was married at St. Anselms Church on January 4, 1958. Nine months later, she became the mother of Timothy Francis Burton on October 19, 1958. The young family lived in El Segundo, California at 310 Walnut Street. Two subsequent children were born while they lived there. Margaret Ellen Burton was born on December 23, 1959, and John Patrick Burton was born on October 1, 1961. As the little family began to grow, it became necessary for them to move to 22715 Evelyn Avenue in Torrance, California where they lived until 1966. Phillip Gregory Burton was born on May 17,1963. Mary and Greg moved to Independence, Missouri sometime in 1966. Mary would recall trying to keep 4 youngsters entertained on the long flight there from L.A.
She said it was like trying to keep a lid on a can of worms.
Matthew David Burton, their 5th child, was born on September 18, 1967.The family lived in Lenexa, Kansas before buying another home
at 3014 South 9th Street in KC, Kansas.The children all grew up there. In 1984, Mary's husband of 27 years passed away from colon cancer. Mary then moved to Grandview, Missouri.. She was a nurse at Trinity and St. Mary's Hospital in KC, MO..She decided to move back to California in 1991. Her two oldest children lived there. She lived in El Segundo on Sierra Street, right across the street from St. Anthony Catholic Church.
She loved her California family with extended family of her sister Barbara's who lived nearby.
Poor health necessitated a move back to Missouri in 2000. Three of her sons continued to live there with their families. She was misdiagnosed one year prior to her death. She had a suspicious shadow on her lung, but after much testing, it was determined not to be a malignancy. However, after a horrendous battle with respiratory illnesses, she received a final diagnosis of lung cancer just a few days before God called her home on March 22, 2002.She left behind three beautiful granddaughters named Amanda, Sydney and Nicolette (Nicky)and one wonderful grandson, Taylor.
She was a wonderful mother,sister,sister in law,aunt and wife in her 72 years on this earth. Her memory is now part of the ages, but we know she is very much alive just beyond our sight and yet, she keeps a watchful vigil over all of her family who loved her so very much and miss her beyond belief.