Obituary: Polly Burnham
Author: Polly Burnham Family
Polly Burnham
Polly Burnham Family
Polly Sue Mugg Burham, 71, of Townsend, Montana, died on Saturday, September 23, 2023, due to a heart attack. She was a lifelong learner and a follower of Jesus Christ, her Savior.
Polly was born in Des Moines, Iowa on August 16, 1952. Due to her health concerns, her family moved to Stillwater, Minnesota. Her childhood home included a large vegetable garden, which instilled in her a love of gardening.
She was an accomplished cook, having learned alongside her mother and cooking the produce from her garden. She enjoyed entertaining her friends and family, and preparing many delicious gourmet meals.
Polly was a lover of all of God’s creatures, big and small. She spoiled many dogs and rescued numerous cats throughout her life, including her beloved Lil Bear and Annie. At one time, Polly even raised chickens and enjoyed going to the henhouse and retrieving fresh eggs each morning.
Growing up, Polly’s family had a cabin at Star Island on Cass Lake, in Northern Minnesota. Here she learned to swim, sail and waterski. She loved her time on the lake and always felt most herself near the water. Later in her childhood, she would go to Camp Widjiwagan in Ely, Minnesota, eventually becoming a camp counselor. She enjoyed canoeing and hiking in the wilderness of the Boundary Waters. Polly was also an avid downhill and cross-country skier.
Polly was a woman of many talents. She was extremely creative, an excellent writer, an artist and a superb seamstress. She would craft clothing items putting her own twist on their creation thus making it uniquely her own. You could give her your idea and she would create it. Many people benefitted from her various talents.
Polly graduated from the University of Minnesota, Duluth. She had several career pursuits, starting as a salesperson at JC Penney in Duluth, Minnesota and as an advisor at Franklin Templeton in San Francisco, California. Later she followed in her father’s footsteps and got her state of Wisconsin Real Estate license and developed a farm into a residential community just outside of the Twin Cities area. Her final position was with the NASDA as an Agricultural Survey Field Enumerator. Working from home, she enjoyed reaching out to farmers and ranchers across America.
Polly’s parents, James K and Mary Jane Mugg predeceased her. Her sister, Gwen Ann Mugg, of Daytona Beach, Florida survives her.
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Photo Credits: Polly Burnham Family
