Obituary of Eloise Mae Burfeind Burns

Eloise Mae Burfeind Burns, was born on April 19, 1925, the only child of Harry and Anne (Hunder) Burfeind, and entered eternal life October 30, 2024, at the age of 99 years, 6 months, and 11 days. Formerly of Wheaton, Minneapolis, and Cambridge. Family and faith were always at the center of her life, as evidenced when her aunts’ prayers were answered and she married George Raymond Burns, the youngest of 9 brothers and sisters, becoming a wife, sister-in-law, and aunt to this large boisterous Irish Catholic family. Her life story would make an excellent novel as it contains betrayals, hardships, and challenges, balanced with love, laughter, honest work, good friendships, and perseverance. She was tough, beautiful, smart, kind, and generous. She liked reading, musicals, movies, and theater performances, enduring many grade school, high school and community theater productions featuring her daughters and grandchildren. She excelled at Scrabble, crossword puzzles, and trivia games, with a memory that amazed her family. She worked as a theater usher, an accountant, convenience store manager, Avon lady, dietary records in a nursing home, salesperson at a catalog desk, and in the tax record department at Isanti County. Her love for auctions and garage sales led to a short stint owning space at the Cambridge Antiques Mall – she could thrift with the best! Longtime member of the Church of Visitation in Minneapolis, she volunteered in their Women’s Council, and in Cambridge she was part of the Healthy Seniors Council and a grandparent volunteer in the elementary school. She loved to host gatherings and cook up delicious meals and treats. Loving her family and making a home was her pride and joy, and she did it well. She is our hero.

Missing her forever will be her children, Theresa Hunder (Kathleen DuPudyt), Diana (Steve) Rockstad, Mark (Theresa) Burns, Annette (Gregg) Borer, and Lisa (Steve) Capistrant; her grandchildren Emily (Steven) VanSloun, Nick (Natalia) Rockstad, Dan (Tara Mader) Burns, Jaclyn (Shehab) Jafari, Christopher (Olivia) Burns, Zachary Borer, and Abigail Capistrant; great grandchildren Elliana and Charles Burns, and Anisa and Emil Jafari and Baby VanSloun; many nieces and nephews. Our comfort comes in knowing that she is reunited with her parents and infant brother, her husband of 60 years, George, infant son Cletus, aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews, and numerous good friends. Enjoy the reunion, Mom, and we will see you again.

Funeral mass will be said Friday, Nov. 8, at 10:30am at St. Vincent de Paul Church, 9100 93rd Ave N, Brooklyn Park, with a visitation one hour prior and a luncheon following. Private interment at Fort Snelling. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to the St. Vincent de Paul School Blessings Fund at the address above or through this link: https://school.saintvdp.org/blessings-fund.