Burns, Wayne W. -- 1918 - 2000

MORTON, BURNS, TAYLOR, NORMAN, EVELAND

Posted By: IAGenWeb Volunteer
Date: 7/29/2010 at 19:56:20

Decorah Public Opinion, Tuesday, July 11, 2000

Wayne W. Burns

Wayne W. Burns, 82, of Decorah, died Saturday, July 8, 2000, at Mercy Medical Center in New Hampton of an apparent heart attack.

Funeral services will be held Tuesday July 11, at 11 a.m., at the First United Methodist Church in Decorah, with the Rev. James Dale officiating.

The Rev. Kristen Kvamme will be the organist. Arlene Foltz will sing "The Lord's Prayer" and "The Borning Cry." The congregation will sing "How Great Thou Art", "Onward Christian Soldiers" and "America the Beautiful."

Casket bearers will be Tad Burns, M. Elliott Christen, Jim Priest, Richard Gaard, LeRoy Kopriva, Dennis Olejniczak, Norbert Tierney, Roger R. Williams and Richard Wuest.

Honorary bearers will be all faculty and staff of Decorah Community Schools from 1963-83.

Burial will be at Phelps Cemetery, with full military rites by the Helof-Holm V.F.W. Post No. 1977 and the Bernatz-Symonds American Legion
Post No. 163.

The Fjelstul Funeral Home is handling arrangements. Visitation will be held Tuesday at the church after 10 a.m.

Wayne was born June 4, 1918, in Indianola, the son of Wilson and Lucy (Morton) Burns of Indianola.

He received his bachelor of arts degree from Simpson College. At the University of Iowa, Wayne earned his master of arts and education specialist degrees.

He was united in marriage to Frances Taylor Aug. 17, 1942, in Bethany, Mo.

Wayne served four years of active duty in the United States Army from 1942-46. Then, for 24 years, he was in the active reserve in the U.S. Army Engineers, retiring as a Lt. Colonel.

He was formerly commander of 5th Engineer Battalion of Southeast Iowa. He was recalled into active duty an 1961-62, during the Berlin crisis.

Wayne was a teacher/coach in Mediapolis from 1946-51. He served as superintendent of schools in Hurron from 1951-1958, in Mediapolis from 1958-61, and in Decorah from 1963-83.

Wayne was a Board of Control member of both the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union and the Iowa High School Athletic Association (Boys).

He was a member of Phi Delta Kappa, the Decorah Physical Therapy Board, Helof-Holm V.F.W. Post No. 1977, the Military Order of World Wars, Decorah Lions Club, First United Methodist Church, and Oneota Golf & Country Club.

Awards included being named a two-time All-Iowa Conference basketball player, induction into the Simpson College Athletic Hall of Fame, the Iowa
Baseball Coaches Association award in 1975, and the Iowa High School Athletic Directors award in 1983. Wayne also received the
Lyle T. Quinn award from the Iowa High School Athletic Association.

Survivors include his wife, Frances Burns; one son, James and Kari Burns of Decorah; two daughters, Jan Norman of Los Angeles, Calif., and Rebecca Burns of Opportunity Village in Clear Lake; three grandchildren, Paige Norman, Morgan Burns and Tad Burns; one brother, George and Maxine Burns of Indianola; and one sister, Ilo and Harris Eveland of Indianola.

Wayne Burns was preceded in death by his parents and two brothers, Clark and Carl.

Transcribed by an IA GenWeb Volunteer from obituaries found in the Howard-Winneshiek Genealogy Society Library, Cresco, Iowa.