Barry Russell Burt

Barry R. Burt, 70 of Southam, ND died on Sunday morning, September 2, 2007 at his daughter’s home in Devils Lake surrounded by his loving and caring family. Funeral Services for Barry will be held on Thursday, September 6, 2007 at 9:30 a.m. at the Westminster Presbyterian Church, Devils Lake with Pastor Kevin Kaufman officiating. Graveside Services will be held at the North Dakota Veterans Cemetery, Mandan, ND on Friday, September 7, 2007 at 10:00 a.m. Military Honors will be accorded by the Neathery-Simensen Post #756, Devils Lake Veterans of Foreign Wars and the Lake Region Honor Guard. Visitation will be held on Wednesday from 1:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. at the Gilbertson Funeral Home, Devils Lake with the family present from 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. Visitation on Thursday will be at the church one hour prior to the funeral service. Serving as Casket Bearers for Barry will be Barry’s sons, Dana Burt and David Burt, his brothers, Kim Burt, Keith Burt, Brian Burt and his son-in-law, Paul Skurdall. Honorary Bearers: Members of the 3662 2nd Maintenance Company North Dakota Army National Guard Barry Russell Burt was born at General Hospital, Devils Lake, ND on December 27, 1936, the son of Glenn W. and Vivian L. (Snook) Burt. He was raised on a farm in the Southam area -the oldest of eight children. He attended Hope Township School for a short time, Southam School thru the 8th grade and graduated from Crary High School in 1954. He farmed with his father and did various other jobs until entering the United States Army on November 17, 1960. He served on active duty with the Heavy Weapon’s Infantry Platoon of the 39th Infantry at Fort Lewis, Washington until his honorable discharge on November 16, 1962. Barry married Frances Elaine Schepp on October 7, 1961 in Devils Lake. They eventually had six children. After his discharge from active duty they established their home in the Devils Lake area. He was employed with Himle Construction for a time and then from 1967 to 1969 served as a Police Officer for the city of Devils Lake. In 1969, Barry began a full-time career with the North Dakota National Guard as a member of the 3662 2nd Maintenance Company, retiring in 1994 as a Sergeant First Class after 25-plus years of service. After retiring, he worked for the US Postal Service as a rural mail carrier in the Crary area and also worked at Lake Region Livestock. In addition, his love of the land and his desire to stay busy kept him active in farming, helping several area farmers with their farming operations. Barry was an active member of the Westminster Presbyterian Church and the local Boy Scout Troop and served on the Hope Township Board. He was a strong supporter of the North Dakota Veterans’ Cemetery, Mercy Hospital Hospice Program, Lake Region Public Library, and numerous other local organizations. He was a life time member of the VFW and served on the Color Guard for many years. Barry liked to share memories and stories about his days in the military and especially about the places he was able to visit including, Berlin, Germany, France, Turkey and Honduras. He was extremely generous with his time, always ready to lend a hand to all those in need. As Barry’s family and friends, our thoughts first focus on the main priorities in his life; family, farming and service to his country and community. His genuine love for and pride in his children and grandchildren and their accomplishments and his example of service and giving of time, spirit and love to everyone and everything are the memories we hold most dear. Those memories will be forever in our hearts. Barry is survived by his children: Rosemary Salisbury and her husband, Mark of Chelmsford, Massachusetts David Burt of Charlottesville, Virginia Rhonda Skurdall and her husband, Paul of Devils Lake Dana Burt of Grand Forks, ND Rachel Hach and her husband, Rob also of Devils Lake Mother of their children: Frances Schepp-Burt, Devils Lake Grandchildren: Shawn (Jill) Johnson, Megan Salisbury, Cimie Burt, Zachary Skurdall, Logan Skurdall and Parker Hach. Great Grandson: Seth Johnson Brothers and Sisters-In-Law: Kim and JoAnn Burt, Starkweather, ND Keith Burt, Tolna, North Dakota Brian and Sandra Burt, Southam, ND Sisters and Brothers-In-Law: Sandra and Raymond Tucker, Devils Lake Shari and Dave Caffey, Springfield, Oregon Lana and Tommy McInness, Port Charlotte, Florida Janice Gould, Broomfield, Colorado Many nieces and nephews and their families. Preceded in death by his parents and daughter, Rebecca Burt.