William Claude Burman

William Claude Burman was born to Fred and Orpha Burman on August 20, 1928, in Harveyville, Kansas. He passed away October 13, 2009, at Columbia Crest in Moses Lake.

He lived in Kansas with his parents and two younger brothers until he was 14. They moved west in a Model A car stuffed and hung with everything they owned. They settled in Oaksdale, WA, where he graduated from high school. He worked for various farmers around Oaksdale until he joined the Army. He’d liked to say, “I could tick the fence posts with the harrow and never knock one over.” He was always a good driver.

He met Julia Davis when she was attending Deaconess Hospital Nurses training. They planned to get married in Garfield County but the Army changed their plans. Bill and Julia were wed in Baltimore, Maryland, on December 30, 1950.

Bill served in the Army and was sent to Korea and served as an artillery sergeant. He was honorably discharged.

Their first child, William Fred, was born on April 16, 1952, at Geiger Air Force Base in Spokane, WA. Next came Katherine Lee, born on June 14, 1953, in Moscow, Idaho. The third and last child, Marla Jean, was born in Spokane, WA, May 22, 1957.

Bill worked at various jobs until he was hired by the Employment Security Department and moved to Moses Lake, where he resided ever since. Bill could recite a person’s social security number before they reached the county. His boss John Ray said, “His clients called him the hard-nosed man with the glasses.” He retired from the state in 1986 as manager of the Moses Lake area office.

Bill’s interested and hobbies included camping, rock hounding, farming, his garden, hunting, photography, collecting and spending time with his loved ones.

His parents and both brothers preceded Bill in death. He is survived by Julia, his wife of 59 years, his three children: Bill (Gail) Burman, Kathy Voth, Marla Ellestad (Tom), and nine grandchildren and one great-granddaughter.

In lieu of flowers, a donation may be made in Bill’s name to Parkinson research.

Services will be held at Benson’s Funeral Home at 4 p.m., Friday, Oct. 16, 2009.