Teresa Burton Kuckelman, 95, Frankfort, made her trip on Sept. 4, 2023. Teresa was born March 27, 1928, to Francis and Teresa Marksman.
Teresa was born on a farm southeast of Frankfort and attended country school. She and her brothers and sisters walked to school every day, which was about three miles. This may have been where she developed her love for walking.
When Teresa was three, she went with her older siblings to pick wild strawberries. She got tired and headed for home. When the other family members arrived at home and she was not there, they started searching for her. More than 1,000 men and women and bloodhounds from the county helped search and she was found 18 hours later unharmed. She was very happy to be reunited with her parents.
Teresa grew up during the depression and remembers not having very much at all. They didn’t have an indoor bathroom and had to carry water in from outside.
Teresa attended Frankfort High School and graduated in 1946. After graduation she worked for Doc Stewart in Frankfort and helped take care of new mothers and their babies.
Teresa married Ralph Burton, in Frankfort, Kansas on Jan. 21, 1947, and to this marriage came nine children (three sons and six daughters). Ralph died on May 23, 1974.
Teresa had been a homemaker until Ralph’s death and then she started working for the Frankfort Community Care Home. She worked there for close to 30 years. She enjoyed taking care of many of her neighbors and others that she was fond of. There were many nights she stayed after her shift had ended to sit with residents who were near death. She didn’t want them to be alone.
Teresa was a long-time member of the Annunciation Catholic Church and its Altar Society. She volunteered many hours of her time to help with cleaning the church or working funeral dinners. Teresa was a one-woman Hospice program before it was invented. She was often found doing laundry or taking meals to shut-ins, shuttling neighbors to church, the store or to doctor’s appointments, or staying the night with someone who needed overnight care.
Teresa was a firm believer in Guardian Angels and that all of her kids had good one’s growing up.
Teresa loved playing bingo, going to the casinos, walking, looking for bargains, gooseberry pie, butterscotch, and Russell Stover chocolates. She loved making no bake cookies for her grandkids. Her favorite holiday was the Burton Thanksgiving when the entire family crammed into her three-bedroom, one bathroom house. She would make everyone say what they were thankful for before the blessing. The kitchen table would be loaded with food and after dinner the annual Thanksgiving Football game was held, followed by dessert.
Teresa married Mark E. Kuckelman, Axtell, on July 26, 2000. He preceded her in death on May 3, 2015.
Teresa was preceded in death by her parents and sisters, Elizabeth Hoffman, Rose Mary Augustine, and Anne Feltner; brothers, Dominic Marksman, Paul Marksman, John Marksman, James Marksman and William Marksman; sons-in-law, David Crawford and Richard Davis.
She is survived by her children: Donna Burton, Topeka; Mary (Phil) Joseph, Blue Rapids; Ralph (Kimm) Burton, Frankfort; Joe (Sandra) Burton, Frankfort; Kenny (Sue) Burton, Frankfort; Alice Crawford, Frankfort; Barb (Matt) Ohlde, Linn; Julie (Matt) Schindler, Wichita; Jane Welch, Topeka; 25 grandchildren, 29 great grandchildren, 5 great-great grandchildren with the 6th one on the way.
Pallbearers are her grandsons, Chris Davis, Ed Joseph, Don Joseph, Robert Burton, Danny Burton, David Burton, Derek Crawford, Josh Laflin and Burton Schindler.
Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:00 am, Friday, September 8, 2023 at the Annunciation Catholic Church in Frankfort with Fr. Anthony Chendumalli and Fr. James Shaughnessy as officiants. Visitation will be Thursday from 6-7 pm with a Rosary at 7 pm at the church. Burial will be at the Mt. Calvary Catholic Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers the family requests memorial donations to the Annunciation Catholic Church, the Frankfort Ambulance or the Frankfort Community Care Home. Contributions may be left in care of the Christie-Anderes Funeral Home, P.O. Box 61, Waterville, Kansas 66548.
