She graduated from Cozad High School in 1925 and Cotner College at Lincoln in 1929 with a Bachelor's Degree in Music Education. She worked on her Master's Degree at Northwestern University at Evanston, Ill. She taught music in the Adams school system in 1929-1930 before becoming the music teacher in the Beatrice City Schools from 1930-1933. She was married to Arnold G. Burnham at Lincoln on May 29, 1933. He preceded her in death in 1971. She and her husband lived at Oconto for one year before moving to Bridgeport in 1934 where they lived for seven years. They moved to Alliance in 1941. She was a member of the First Presbyterian Church of Alliance, the first Slagle Memorial Library Board, and PEO. In 1977, she was instrumental in the donation of the Slagle Clinic building to the City of Alliance for use as the Slagle Memorial Library. She was President of the Community Concert Association and a driving force in raising monies and bringing fine arts concerts to Alliance. She was preceded in death by her parents and three brothers.
She is survived by three children, Bonnie R. Speck of Alliance, Robyn A. Burnham of Springerville, Ariz., and Arnold G. Burnham, M. D. of Fort Collins, Colo.; seven grandchildren, Michael S. O'Brien, James A. O'Brien, Bonnie E. O'Brien, William L. O'Brien, Joey L. Brost, Rebecca A. Brost, and Ruth C. E. Reniers; four great-grandchildren, Sean P. O'Brien, Colleen E. O'Brien, Alexander M. Winston and Josef V. B. Potmesil; and one great-great-grandchild, Kennedy O'Brien, She also is survived by her brother Richard of Alturas, Calif., and many nieces and nephews.
Funeral services will be at 10 a.m., Saturday, Sept. 7, the First Presbyterian Church, with the Rev. Stephen Roosa and Fr. Paul Mottl officiating. Burial will be in the Alliance Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorials have been established to the First Presbyterian Church of Alliance or the Carnegie Arts Center. Bates-Gould Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. Pd.Obit.