Arlene M. Burns

Arlene Burns was a wonderful woman, a vivacious lady with such a great love of life. She was a feisty woman, who always stood up for what she believed in, and stood up for those closest to her. She was a devoted and supportive wife, a loving mother and grandmother, and a friend to so many over the years. Most of all, Arlene was a woman who truly enjoyed each of her days, and taught us to do the same. Arlene's story began on a snowy winter day in 1925, as the holidays approached in the shoreline city of Ludington, Michigan. Those were good times in this country, as America reveled in the prosperity and peacetime of the Roaring 20s, even as Prohibition was the law of the land. On December 17, 1925, a snowy Thursday in Ludington, Frederick and Adeline (Dumas) Voss found more to celebrate than Christmas, with the birth of a beautiful baby girl, a daughter they named Arlene Marie. Arlene was the second of four girls in the Voss home, joining older sister Delores, and younger sisters Jeanne and D'esta on the family's small dairy farm in Ludington. Sadly, D'esta died as a young girl, before the age of 10. Arlene helped out quite a bit around the family farm, although her sisters didn't help too much. Several of Arlene's relatives also had farms close by, as well, and farming was an integral part of the Voss name. When she wasn't working on the farm, Arlene attended Ludington schools, and graduated from Ludington High School. After high school, she found work at various jobs, and even became engaged, to young man named Bill Appledore. But the dark skies of World War II soon separated the couple, and Bill was killed in combat. Arlene wasn't destined to remain alone, however. A friend of Bill's, Willie Burns, went to visit Arlene after the war ended, and they formed a connection. The two began dating, fell in love, and were married on March 2, 1946 in Ludington. It wasn't long before the new wife and husband also became mother and father, as well. They were blessed with three wonderful children over the coming years, with son Gary born in 1946, daughter Lynn a few years later, and son Craig rounding out the happy family after that. The growing family moved to Muskegon Heights, where they raised their children. In addition to caring for the kids and their home, Arlene worked some as a waitress and a little bit in the local factories, although never for very long. Arlene and Willie also became active of the Muskegon Heights Eagles, in addition to bowling on several different leagues. She and Willie had their share of arguments over the years, as Arlene could be feisty and loved to get her way (which she usually did), but they were really perfect for each other. They were both fun-loving and very social, and enjoyed being together most of all. In 1972, they moved to Deland, Florida, where Willie took a job at a company that put the stripes on the highways. His job took him all over the country, and he took his beloved Arlene with him. Sometimes she even drove the pickup truck with the flashing lights that followed the striping truck! Arlene loved to travel with Willie, for work as well as the many trade shows they attended, and the two made many plenty of friends wherever they went. They finally retired in the early 1990s, and remained as active as ever. The couple bought a trailer and kept it permanently at a campground in Muskegon for many years. They would return to Muskegon in the summertime, and head back to Florida to wait out the winters. They also picked up the game of golf in their retirement, and played often together, as often as they could. Arlene and Willie were both very active at Bent Pine Golf Course in Muskegon, and played in several different leagues there. Willie became quite good, and even had a couple of holes-in-one! Of course, the focal point of Arlene's life was always her family, and she adored seeing her grandchildren and later great-grandchildren. She never forgot their birthdays, and always got cards and presents for them. She and Willie moved from Deland, Florida to Lakeland, to be close to their son Craig, until they eventually moved back to Muskegon full time to be closer to their son Gary and daughter Lynn and their families. As they got older and had more health issues, their trips to Muskegon had grown less frequent and shorter. Sadly, Arlene's beloved Willie died in June of 2006, and it affected her deeply. Her health declined, and she died Sunday, October 29, 2006. Arlene was a wonderful woman, a vivacious, fun-loving lady. She was a deeply devoted and supportive wife, loving mother and doting grandmother and great-grandmother. Most of all, she was a woman who enjoyed each of her many days, and taught us all to do the same. She will be greatly missed. SURVIVORS: 2 sons, Gary (Donna) Burns of Norton Shores, Craig (Cindy) Burns of Lakekand, FL; daughter, Lynn (Dave) Knowles of Norton Shores; 7 grandchildren, Jennifer (Jim) Janes, Kristan (Matt) Wagenmaker, Andrea Knowles, Josh Knowles, Angel (Brent) Ruth, Jessica Burns & Brent Burns; 8 great-grandchildren, Brook, Summer & Eva Janes, Evan, Nate & Abby Wagenmaker, Kelly & Brandon Ruth; sister, Jeanne (Roland) Kistler of Howell, MI. She was preceded in death by her husband in June of 2006. SERVICE: Wednesday, November 1, 2006, 11 AM at Clock Chapel with Pastor Scott Church officiating. Interment at Norton Cemetery. VISITATION: Wednesday, 1 hour prior to the service at Clock Life Story Funeral Home - Muskegon. MEMORIAL: Poppen Hospice House or Muskegon Rescue Mission. Please visit www.lifestorynet.com to leave a memory or sign the online guest book.