Bessie Leora Burglund
November 2, 1925 - October 27, 2013
Obituary
Bessie Burglund
Bessie passed away in her sleep Sunday, October 27, 2013. She was born on November 2, 1925 in Lajuante, Colorado to Gilbert and Arzetta Borden. She had 3 brothers and 3 sisters.
Bessie lived in Colorado on a prosperous farm that employed many farm hands. With the tragedy of the dust bowl, the family was forced to move west and settled on a small farm in Ellensburg, WA. Bessie finished her schooling in Ellensburg and then became employed by Greyhound Bus. She married Gordon Smith and raised two children, Judith and Gary. Bessie and Gordon moved to Seattle to follow his job. After her divorce from Gordon, Bessie married Ben Burglund. She lived in the Des Moines/Federal Way area the last 50 years of her life. She was an expert bridge player and participated in bridge clubs at Huntington Park, Wesley Terrace and her church, Normandy Park Church of Christ.
Despite numerous challenges in her life, Bessie’s strength carried her through. She fought the last 3months of her life to recovery from surgery and illness. She did very well and we expected her to return to her friends at Wesley Terrace soon, when her heart quietly stopped in her sleep.
She will be missed by her family and friends.
A private graveside service will be held at Bonney-Watson Washington Memorial Park, SeaTac. Please sign the online memorial guestbook at www.bonneywatson.com.
Donations can be made in memory of Bessie Burglund to Wesley Homes Foundation, 815 S 216th St, Des Moines, WA 98198. Attention: Circle of Concern
Betty, her kindness, her frankness, and her Bridge skills will be missed by many, especially in the Des Moines area. We love her. May she rest in peace!