Viola Lee Fasching Burton (Lee) passed away in St Joseph on Monday, December 30, 2019 at a St. Joseph health care center. She was born to William and Margaret (Jackson) Fasching on February 19,1933. Lee grew up in St. Joseph and attended McKinley Elementary and Benton High School. Lee was a soft-spoken, caring woman with a keen sense of humor. She was a member of King Hill United Methodist Church, where she accepted Jesus Christ as her savior.
She married Robert “Bob” Burton in 1949, and they had 4 children. She was a loving mother, grandmother, and great grandmother. Her children also attended McKinley Elementary School. Lee volunteered for many school functions there, and she was an active member of the PTA. After the children were older, she worked at Head Start as a teacher’s aide. The students all called her “Bigfoot” after she stepped on a mouse that was running through the classroom. Later, she worked many years at TG&Y, mostly in the fabric department, and she has the fabric stash to prove it.
To get some time together, Lee and Bob took dance lessons in the mid ‘50s, that’s when their love of dancing began. Lee loved many types of dance including swing, foxtrot, square, and line dancing. She also enjoyed sewing, crafting, and baking. Lee made many clothes for her children and herself. She decorated cakes for family's and friends’ birthdays and weddings. She made wedding cakes for all four of her children. She enjoyed spending time with family and friends, whether gathering for food, a friendly game of cards, or both. She gladly helped others providing transportation and companionship to friends until she was no longer able to drive. She liked to travel and visited Hawaii, the Bahamas, England, and took a train ride to Reno, Nevada. But her favorite place was home, where she would often see deer come out of the woods onto her lawn, or look down the hill and see downtown St Joseph in the distance.
Lee was preceded in death by Bob, her husband of 49 years; her brothers-Jack Fasching, Dick Fasching, and Bill Fasching all of St Joseph; and one son, Timothy (Tim) Burton. She is survived by her children: Margaret Weston of St. Joseph, Robert Burton (Mary Ann) of Katy, Texas, and Linda Yates (Keith) of Garland, Texas; 12 grandchildren, 23 great grandchildren with twins arriving in June, and 3 great-great grandchildren with another due in May, sisters-in-law, Arlene Fasching, Connie Fasching, and Martha Stacio, and numerous nieces and nephews.
While her whole family greatly loved and sacrificially supported her, special recognition goes to Margaret Weston, David Weston, and Wendi Weston for making it possible for Mom to stay in her home for so long.
The family also thanks the staff of Senior Living of St. Joseph, and Mosaic Life Care Hospice for their loving, gentle care of our mother during her final months of life. The family will receive friends from 1-2 pm Friday, with a Memorial Service starting at 2:00 p.m. at the Rupp Funeral Home.
