Krystyna (Koziel) Burnett (1926-2014)
BURNETT, KOZIEL, BURNETT-LARKINS, HANNAM, ZERR
Posted By: Mark Christian
Date: 11/23/2014 at 16:22:25
From Stevens Memorial Chapel obituary, Ames, Story County, Iowa:
Krystyna Burnett (Koziel) passed away November 17, 2014, surrounded by the love of her family members, at Israel Family Hospice House in Ames.
Krystyna lived a life that was filled with challenge, rewards and blessings. She was born in Poland, June 3, 1926. She was separated from her family during World War II. She was initially put to work in a German hospital in occupied Poland and was later taken to Cologne, Germany, where she worked as a housekeeper. While in Germany she met a U.S. Army officer and his wife, Col. Glenn and Agnes McConnell. The McConnells helped sponsor Krystyna to the United States in 1947, and became her "foster parents." She became a U.S. citizen, settled in Ames with the McConnells, learned English as a second language and graduated from Ames High School when in her early 20s. She became an LPN and worked at a Catholic hospital in Marshalltown. In 1955, she married Harold W. Burnett, an attorney whom she met when he was a patient in that hospital. Krystyna and Harold, who later practiced as an attorney on Guam before becoming Chief Justice of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, raised their children, Karen and Bruce, while living in various Pacific island locations. They later moved to Honolulu, Hawaii and then to Ames in 1992. Harold passed away in Ames in 2002.
Krystyna loved her family, and spent many happy hours with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, who called her "Honey." She was an immaculate housekeeper and an accomplished cook and hosted many special family occasions in her home. She loved literary works and films that reminded her of her native region of the world, including Anna Karenina and Dr. Zhivago, and also loved the music of Andrew Lloyd Webber productions.
She is survived by her daughter, Karen Burnett-Larkins of Ames; her son, Bruce Burnett of Watsonville, CA; granddaughters Krysia Hannam (Burnett-Larkins) of Altoona; Melissa Burnett-Larkins and Breanna Burnett-Larkins of Ames; Julia Burnett and Sarah Burnett of Watsonville, CA; and great-grandsons Zachary Hannam of Altoona and Lincoln Zerr of Ames.
Another family member, Fay Larkins, mother of Karen Burnett-Larkins' husband, John Burnett-Larkins, passed away November 11, 2014, also at the Israel Family Hospice House in Ames. Both she and Krystyna will be remembered in a joint visitation and funeral ceremony.
Online condolences and thoughtful memories may be expressed on Krystyna's page at www.stevensmemorialchapel.com
http://www.dignitymemorial.com/stevens-memorial-chapel/en-us/index.page
Story Obituaries maintained by Mark Christian.
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