Middle River-Rosalie Burda, 89, of Middle River, passed away with her family by her side on Sunday, December 4, 2022 at Sanford Hospital in Thief River Falls.
Rosalie Helen (Gust) Burda was born at home at her parents farm in Poplar Grove Township, Roseau County, on August 16, 1933, the oldest of the three children of Alex and Emma (Raichl) Gust. She grew up with her Czech heritage being a big part of her life, and was still a member of the Czech Lodge in her community.
Rosalie was baptized and confirmed in the Catholic faith and attended St. Joseph’s Catholic Church of Benwood.
She attended the Northwood Country School, Benwood School District #77, Poplar Grove Township, Roseau County. Rosalie spoke mostly Czech when she started school, but she was an eager learner of English. She liked all subjects in school, and especially liked to read anything she could. She was a good speller and won first place at a spelling bee. She continued to be a lifelong learner, and when she had questions about something she would research and check the encyclopedia or dictionary – or in recent years ask family to, “Ask Google,” for her.
As a young girl she learned a great work ethic from her parents and worked hard on the family farm with them and her siblings, Adeline and Albert. She was hired by a neighbor to help with housework, cooking, and babysitting. She also worked in the potato fields.
On a beautiful fall day, in the middle of harvest season, Rosalie married Frank John Burda on September 11, 1951 at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, Benwood. Frank and Rosalie lived on their family dairy farm and worked side by side where they raised dairy, beef, chickens, turkeys, pigs, sheep, small grains, corn, hay, and most importantly their 11 children – five boys and six girls. Frank and Rosalie raised much of their own food and to help support their large family, Rosalie planted large gardens – canning and freezing vegetables. They sold cream, eggs, and milk. She picked berries and made sauce, jelly, and jams. She was a great cook and baker. She liked to ‘read through cookbooks.’ If she didn’t have all of the right ingredients she would improvise. She enjoyed learning new ways to prepare something. She liked vinegar, hot peppers, and hot spicy sauce on just about anything. Many of her children and grandchildren enjoy the same. Homemade bread and Czech pastries such as Kolaches were always a favorite of her family. Family traditions and serving traditional ethnic foods were a part of her everyday life. Frank would say, “I don’t know how we would have made ends meet some years if it wasn’t for Rosalie’s creative ability to make something out of nothing!”
God uses people to carry out His work and Rosalie took that seriously. Her faith remained strong throughout her life, and over the years she devoted time teaching Sunday school and Release time and was a part of and held offices in the Ladies Guild and helped make and serve countless church dinners. She made many church banners and baptismal robes and amongst other things she tended to the plants in the church sanctuary. We have all benefited from her daily prayer intentions and the many Rosaries said for family, friends, and those that she did not even know. She was thoughtful, faithful, a good listener and filled with grace. She was brave and in tough times she would say, “This too shall pass, Offer it up, All is gift, or This is just preparing you for the future.”
She had many talents and interests and liked anything to do with nature. Having a “Green Thumb,” she liked identifying, learning about, and drawing flowers, different plants, butterflies, birds, and animals. Between caring for family, household chores, farm chores, and field work, she spent countless hours in her flower and vegetable gardens, appreciating the wonder of all God’s creations. She passed her appreciation of a beautiful sunrise and sunset onto her children. Growing up in the country, they enjoyed gazing at the vast star covered night sky with her. And to this day they are in awe of the beautiful phases of the moon.
Rosalie was a 4-H leader and offered help and encouragement to many besides her own children. She was a teacher, friend, and an inspiration to others.
Frank and Rosalie cherished life and welcomed each new baby that was added to the family. Gramma Rosalie did many fun things when babysitting the Grandkids, like when the weather didn’t allow them to play outside, she brought a bucket of sand into the house and dumped it on the kitchen floor for the Grandkids to drive their toy trucks and tractors through, sweeping it all up after playing.
She rarely missed sending birthday or anniversary cards and wishes to her family. If she didn’t get a card off in the mail she would call with a special wish.
Frank and Rosalie enjoyed a trip to the Czech Republic, but mostly Rosalie would delight in being an ‘armchair traveler,’ taking her trips through others. She was always so enthused to see the pictures and hear where others were traveling to and would take out her atlas and maps to follow along the route others were enjoying.
In later years she made corn husk dolls and grapevine wreaths and baskets. Rosalie was very crafty, creative, and resourceful and was a thrifty recycler; she could see a ‘second life’ in most everything, especially giving people a second chance as it was needed. She would prefer something used, well-loved, a little dented and rusty over new and shiny. She did a lot of sewing with her old Singer Treadle Sewing machine – patching and sewing quilts and making clothes for her family, working late into the night. All of her daughters learned to sew under her guiding and instructions. Rosalie would say that she liked wash day with the old wringer wash machine and the freshness of hanging clothes on the clothesline. With 11 children it adds up to over 40,000 cloth diapers alone that had to be washed in her lifetime, much less all of the chore clothes! It’s no wonder that her gentle hands were now very arthritic.
Rosalie was gifted with so much inner strength and endurance that got her through busy years of hard work with very little leisure and in these last years her tolerance and determination to get through breast cancer treatments and go on with a body full of arthritis, poor knees, and shoulders has been unbelievable. She sacrificed a lot for her family and even in her last days, as her body was getting so tired, she shared stories, humor, and quick wit and was still more concerned for others.
Like a butterfly in flight, Rosalie drifted off to Paradise with her family surrounding her. She will be missed by those who were blessed with her presence in their lives for so many years.
Her beautiful life will forever be cherished in the lives of her children, Angeline (Gail) Steinhauer of Thief River Falls, Paul (Sandy) Burda, of Thief River Falls, Rosalind (Robert) Bentow of Roseau, Marilyn (Jim) Kukowski of Strathcona, Anthony (Beth) Burda of Milaca, Theresa (Doug) Bentow of Greenbush, Daniel (Kelly) Burda of Champlin, Matthew (Pixie) Burda of Livingston, MT, Karen (Daniel) Espeseth of Erskine, Alan (Kelly) Burda of Strathcona, and son-in-law, Dale Barth of Thief River Falls.
She was very proud of her grandchildren, Dominik (Jessica) Steinhauer, Morea (Amit Livnat) Steinhauer, Brandon (Jessica) Steinhauer, Breanne (Chris) Recore, Jeffrey Hanson, Bret (Amanda) Bentow, Tim (Holly) Bentow, Deven Burda, Alex (Rachel) Burda, Philip (Vicente DeArmas) Burda, Emily (Ben) Buckingham, Tyler (Auroura) Bentow, Tiffany (Casey) Larson, Elizebeth and Jennifer Burda, Stephanie, Hunter, and Nicholas Burda, Garret, Megan, Alayna, and Lindsey Espeseth.
She took great delight in her great-grandchildren, Reagan and Sloan Steinhauer, Devree, Dylan, Ophir, and Yuval Livnat, Kohl, Ashton, and Levi Recore and Baby Recore due April 2023, Aiden and Jayda Bentow, Grayson and Gavin Bentow, Thea Burda, Layla, Lacy, and John Burda, Colter and Lainey Buckingham, Owen and Kiah Larson.
Dear to her heart are her sister, Adeline (Harlan) Broten, her brother, Albert (Rhoda) Gust, many special nieces, nephews, and other special relatives, friends, and neighbors.
Rosalie is now celebrating joyous reunions with those that have gone before her. Her husband passed away on July 24, 2014. Frank’s strong arms are giving her a “Welcome Home” hug. She can now hold her grandson Ethan Espeseth in her gentle arms along with the other precious babies that were lost too soon. Her daughter, Marguerite, who passed away March 2022, will be celebrating her first Christmas in Heaven with both her Dad and Mom. Rosalie’s parents, Alex and Emma Gust are rejoicing at her arrival, and her son-in-law, Jack Garcia is showing her around as she is greeting so many people that have gone before her.
We will not forget someone who gave us so many things to remember and we are all better people because of her. As she would say… “Because the Lord is My Shepherd, I have everything I need.”
The pain of parting is nothing compared to the Joy of meeting again!
Funeral Services were held at 11 a.m. on Monday, December 12, 2022 at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Middle River, with Father George Noel presiding. Interment will follow at Gust National Cemetery, rural Strathcona.
Visitation was on Sunday, December 11, 2022 at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Middle River. A Rosary Service will be held prior to the visitation.
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