Mary Nell (Pass) Burton
Marquette, Michigan

Mary Nell (Pass) Burton, former church organist, retired public school teacher, active church member, dear friend, beloved wife and loving mother, died peacefully on Wednesday, Jan. 17, in Marquette, Michigan at the warm and caring Brookridge Heights Assisted Living and Memory Care facility.

Mary Nell was extraordinary in every way. She loved books and music and was the organist at Columbiana United Methodist Church in Columbiana for over 20 years. While she lived in Kentucky, she taught English and Journalism at Tilghman Public High School in Paducah, Kentucky.

She was born in Cleveland, Alabama, and graduated from Howard College (Samford University) in Birmingham. She was president of her sorority, Phi Mu and was named “Miss Howard” in 1945.

She is preceded in death by her husband, George R. Burton, Sr.; survived by her son, George R. (Rick) Burton, Jr. of Marquette, Michigan; a daughter Suellen Burton (the late Michael Welsh) of Chicago; a daughter-in-law, Jane Henry of Marquette, Michigan; several nieces and nephews; and many devoted friends from Paducah, Kentucky, Columbiana, and Marquette, Michigan.

Private services will be held in Marquette.

Graveside services will be held at the Columbiana Cemetery, Columbiana, on Saturday, Jan. 27, at 11 a.m.

The family requests that memorial contributions be given to the Columbiana United Methodist Church, 200 N. Main St., Columbiana, AL 35051, and the Marquette Hope United Methodist Church, 111 E. Ridge St., Marquette, MI 49855.

The Swanson-Lundquist Funeral Home, Marquette, Michigan, is serving the family, where condolences may be expressed online at Swansonlundquistfuneralhome.com.