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MARLYN YVONNE (SPITTLES) BURTON

Marlyn Yvonne (Spittles) Burton, 85, of Gladstone, MO, died Tuesday, September 14, 2021 at NorthCare Hospice House in N. Kansas City.

Born May 19, 1936 in rural Alta Vista, KS to Clarence and Lois M. (Boettcher) Spittles, Yvonne enjoyed a happy childhood growing up on the farm.

As a young child, her mom caught her in the machinery shed eating dirt, upon questioning Yvonne explained, “It’s clean dirt.” Yvonne graduated from Alta Vista High School in 1954 and worked at Mac’s Cafe in Alta Vista until she married and moved to Kansas City, MO.

She married George L. Burton on June 17, 1956 in Alta Vista. They were later divorced in October of 1984 but remained very close until his death in 2018.

Yvonne had four children, six grand children and nine great-grandchildren. She enjoyed being a homemaker and mother. She served as room mother for each of her kids and was very active in the Troost Elementary PTA, serving in various positions, but best known by her kids as the head of the hospitality committee. She was up every morning with a hot meal on the table for breakfast and a home-cooked meal each evening. There were NO TV dinners or Hamburger Helper meals served at Yvonne’s house. She truly enjoyed hosting Thanksgiving dinner and everyone was welcome. She did all the cooking until her later years. She taught herself how to re-upholster furniture and eventually worked in an upholstery shop in Raytown. Some friends invited her to ceramics class and she made some very lovely items that were given to loved ones as gifts.

Sewing was also a skill that she excelled at, making many dresses for her girls and teaching them how to sew also.

As her kids got older, she was a sales consultant at Playhouse Toys & Gifts and at Princess House.

Her love for professional family portraits led her to take a job at Olan Mills in 1977 as a sales consultant. She worked her way up to office manager and she received many awards for top sales person through the years. She eventually retired from Olan Mills in 2001.

Sitting around through retirement wasn’t for Yvonne, so she started cleaning a few friends’ houses, along with taking care of elderly people. She continued both of these jobs right up to the day she had a stroke which ultimately took her life.

Yvonne is survived by daughters, Brenda Newell of Baldwin City, KS and Jannett Miller (Kevin) of Kingsville, MO; son, Jeffrey Burton (Michelle) of Holt, MO; six grandchildren, Jeremy (Cassie) and Matthew (Kristi) Miller, J.T. (Melissa) and Pam (Chase) Newell, Bridgett (Christopher) Weinzerl and Rachel (Anthony) Holiman; nine great-grandchildren, Emma, Abby and Ashley Miller, Emilee and Hailey Johnson, Kayleigh and Trey Newell, Kamryn Holiman and Zachary Weinzerl; five step-great-grandchildren; two sisters-in-law, Shirley Spittles of Council Grove, KS and Karen Cofran of Overland Park, KS; and many nieces, nephews and friends. Yvonne was preceded in death by her parents; George Burton; Mikel Burton (son); Dean Spittles (brother); and Jim Newell (son-in-law).

A Celebration of Life will be held Saturday, October 2 at 2 p.m., at Brenda Newell’s residence.

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