Kitty Jo Burton, age 60, of New Prague, died unexpectedly on Monday, January 9, 2023 at Mayo Clinic Health System Hospital New Prague. Kitty Jo was born on April 10, 1962 in Billings, Montana to James and Agatha (Roehrich) Eckman. The family moved during her childhood, first to San Jose, CA and ended up in Brooklyn Center, MN where she graduated from Brooklyn Center High School. Kitty Jo was working at Country Kitchen, where a young man also employed there caught her eye. Dan Burton met her in the break room and it was apparently kismet for both of them! Kitty Jo wanted to go to prom and Dan was smitten and asked her if she liked hockey, to which she enthusiastically replied that she loved hockey (she would end up falling asleep at the hockey game!) They made a date to attend a Minnesota Northstars game but prom was happening before the date and Dan wasn't taking her hints about prom so she finally came out and asked him! The love story was cemented when they married first by crossing the border into Wisconsin (since Dan was only 17) and getting married there, then formalized it the next day on June 21, 1980 in North Minneapolis at the "official" ceremony! Kitty Jo would go on to own and operate an insurance agency in addition to raising her two children.
Kitty Jo and Dan both retired in 2012 and then used their time to travel extensively, hitting all continents except Greenland and Africa, even seeing the penguins on Antarctica. Kitty Jo was a "California girl" at heart, hated the snow and cold and loved wintering in California. She maintained strong friendships with her California friends, enjoyed playing Mahjong, had a special gift at interior decorating, and loved cruises. Her greatest love, however, was for her children and grandchildren, enjoying nothing more than the time spent with them. She left a legacy of strength and determination for them, being known as one of the "strongest women I know."
Kitty Jo is survived by her devoted husband, Dan of New Prague; children, Josh (Michelle) Burton of Elko and Cassy (Chris) Youngdale of Overland, KS; grandchildren, Josiah and Garrett Burton, Eli, Zade, & Jacob Youngdale, Ashleigh Olsen, & Jessica Foster; great-grandchild, Jackson Wetterstrom; mother, Agatha Eckman of Phoenix, AZ; sisters, Anna (Philip "Butch") Kimpling of Phoenix, AZ & Judy Hartenstein of Green, OR; mother-in-law, Carole Davis of Brooklyn Center, MN. She is preceded in death by her father, Jim Eckman.
A Celebration of Life Service will be held Saturday, January 14, 2023 at 11:00 AM at Bruzek Funeral Home in New Prague with Reverend Ben Hilding officiating. Visitation will take place beginning at 10:00 AM.
