Susie L. Burton, 84, of Bozeman passed away February 21, 2023. Susie was born in Niagara Falls, NY and moved to Rochester, NY when she was five years old. She attended Brockport NY High School. After school, Susie married Ronald L. Kinnear Sr. They had a son Ronald Lynn Kinnear Jr.
During her junior high and high school years Susie sang in night clubs and was an artist. Her specialties were painting portraits and she won several art scholastic awards. A special gift was that she loved to do fast sketches in pencil and charcoal.
When Susie, her husband, and son first came to Montana in 1960, they came to visit a missionary friend and his family. They later moved to Gallatin Gateway to help in the mission in 1961.
After 34 years of marriage, she divorced her first husband and later worked at the Museum of the Rockies as a preparator (cleaning fossils) and sat in on classes taught by Jack Horner. These helped teach her about the work she was doing in the fossil bank.
As a passenger on the Galavan Bus, she met and fell in love with her husband Bill Burton, the love of her life.
She attended and was a member of the Christian Reformed Church and was a charter member of the Gallatin Gateway Christian Reformed Church.
Susie was also an active member of CMCD (Coalition of Montana Concerned with Disabilities). She had M.D. and polio. She served on the board of Galavan, the board of MILP (Montana Independent Living Project) and at one time was president.
Susie was a professional singer. She sang with the Larry Nesbitt Band, singing ballads and calling square dances. The Top Hatters was another band Susie sang with every week, Glenn Marshall and the Top Hatters, as well as the Chauncy Soans Band. Being a nonsmoker and nondrinker made it kind of rough.
She is survived by her son, Ron Kinnear Jr.
A Graveside Service for Susie Burton will be held Wednesday, March 8, at 1:00 P.M. at Sunset Hills Cemetery followed by a Memorial Service and reception at 2:00 P.M. at Dokken-Nelson.
Arrangements are in the care of Dokken-Nelson Funeral Service. www.dokkennelson.com [dokkennelson.com]
