Obituary of Mary Ann Burd

Mary Ann Burd of Netcong, N.J., died Tuesday, May 29,2012 at home in the loving arms of her daughter Donna Mae Bauer. She was 95. A funeral Mass will be celebrated at St. Michael's Church, 4 Church St (Route 46), Netcong, on Saturday, June 2 at 9:30am. Interment will follow at Stanhope Union Cemetery. Friends may call at the Leber Lakeside Funeral Home, 150 Landing Road, Landing, NJ. 07850 on Friday, June 1 from 3 to 7 p.m. Born and raised in Netcong, Mary was one of 9 children born to the late Cesario and Anna DiBernard. As the eldest daughter she helped to raise and care for all of her brothers and sisters. She was the beloved wife of the late Elwin C. Burd, and lived in Netcong for almost a century. Her Family and her Faith were the two passions of her life. Love was the centerpiece of her giving nature, as she lived her Faith every day in all that she did. She raised an incredible, loving daughter, Donna (husband John), who like Mary became an amazing mother. When Mary and Birdie both retired from Picatinny Arsenal in the mid 1970's they spent the next 20 years helping to unceasingly care for their three grandchildren John Christopher (wife Wendy), Jenniferanne Mae (husband Chris Palermo and Charles Joseph Bauer (fiancee Audra Kranz). Mary would continue her labor of love when she was blessed with six great grandchildren — Joseph, Dylan, Bella, Sean, Sophia, Jake, and her seventh great grandchild who was born the day after her passing. She was predeceased by her brothers Frank, Joseph, Orlando and Henry, and by a sister Helen Ayres. She is survived by brothers Vince and Leonard, and by a sister Catherine Norgard. Mary was a lifelong Parishioner of St. Michael's Church in Netcong, where celebrating Mass, receiving the Sacraments and being an active volunteer were "callings" that she relished! She belonged to the Rosary Society, the Legion of Mary and the Catholic Daughters. Mary was a remarkable cook, baker and chef extraordinaire, whose cookies, pies, zucchini bread, homemade ravioli, meatballs, and fresh tomato sauce were enjoyed by family and parishioners alike. She learned how to cook vegetarian for the Pastor, baked for the nuns, and was a presence at daily Mass.