Mary Ellen Salava, 79, of Burlington died Saturday, Feb. 27, 2010, at Coffey County Hospital in Burlington.
She was born Sept. 16, 1930, on the family farm north of Burlington, the daughter of Floyd and Adeline (Kelly) Skillman. She grew up on the family farm and attended Martindale Rural School. She graduated from Burlington High School in 1947.
On Oct. 8, 1950, she married John Otto Salava at her parents’ home north of Burlington. They made their home in the Hickory Creek neighborhood northwest of Burlington until 1963 when they moved to a farm near Moran due to the construction of John Redmond Reservoir. In 1968 they moved back to Burlington and in 1969 moved to their present farm north of Burlington.
She was the first person to serve as Coffey County Emergency Preparedness Director. She had attended Ottumwa Christian Church and Burlington Christian Church. She had been a member of No. 4 Club, Bean Grange, Traveler’s Club and had served on the Coffey County election board. She enjoyed raising a big garden, canning and had raised chickens.
She is survived by two daughters, Norma Eiman, Houston, Texas, and Evelyn Adams and her husband, Tim, Newton; three sons, Jack and his wife, Sandy, Manhattan, Dan and his fiancee, Angie Gerdes, Burlington, and David and his wife, Tracy, Clay Center; 13 grandchildren, Summer and Jeremy Eiman, Benjamin Andrews and his wife, Amber, Rachel Andrews, Sara and Jordan Salava, Jon Salava and his wife, Rori, Nick and Alex Salava, Anthony Christian Rodriguez, Katy Hernandez and her husband, Sam, and Andrea and Richard Rodriguez; a stepgreat-grandson; and a sister, Clara Ruth Williams, Burlington.
Her husband died April 19, 2001, a daughter, Loretta Rodriguez, died Feb. 14, 2003, and a son-in-law, Harry “Buddy” Andrews, died in 1995. Five brothers, Oliver, John, Albert, Claude and Ralph Skillman, and two sisters, Adeline Hess and Letha Povenmire, also died earlier.
Funeral services will be at 10:30 a.m. Thursday at the United Methodist Church in Burlington. Burial will be in Stringtown Cemetery, northeast of Burlington.
Memorials to the Arthritis Foundation or Union of Concerned Scientists may be sent in care of Jones Funeral Home P.O. Box 277 Burlington, KS 66839.
Mary Ellen Salava
