Feb. 22, 1936-May 14, 2023
Monna Leese Burningham Barrus, age 87, passed away peacefully in the company of loved ones on May 14, 2023, in Fort Worth, Texas. She was born Feb/ 22, 1936, in Los Angeles, California, to Byron Alfred and Marteese Balkom Burningham. She was the oldest of three children.
Monna graduated from Citrus Union High School, Azusa-Glendora, California, in 1955. She then attended BYU for a year and later worked for Aerojet General in Azusa, California. She married Owen Hal Barrus in the Los Angeles, California, Temple on April 1, 1966. Together they had three children: Joseph, Paul, and Alicia. They also welcomed and raised Monna’s niece, Debra Burningham, from the age of 11.
Monna was known for loving everyone and giving the best “bear hugs.” She loved working as a Boy Scout leader for many years at the local and district level, including running roundtable meetings for cub scout leaders. She held many church callings, the last being an ordinance worker in the Dallas, Texas Temple.
Monna is survived by her children Joseph (Wendy), Paul (Emily) and Alicia (Gregory) Frenzel; niece Debra (Danny) Heath; 17 grandchildren; brother Alvin (Kathy); sister-in-law, Margret; and many other nieces and nephews. She is preceded in death by her parents, husband and a brother Byron, also known as Burnie.
There will be a memorial service in Texas on Friday, May 26, at 3 p.m. at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Saginaw Chapel, 300 Ridgecrest Dr., Saginaw, Texas.
Funeral services will be held in St George, Utah, Saturday, June 3, at 10 a.m., at the Bloomington Mulberry Chapel, 3381 S. Mulberry, St. George, Utah.
Visitations will be held from 9-9:45 a.m., prior to services, at the chapel.
Interment will take place at the Tonaquint Cemetery immediately following the Funeral Service.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Monna’s name to Southern Utah Heritage Choir online at heritagechoir.org or by mail to PO Box 3281, St. George, Utah, 84770.
Arrangements are made under the direction of Spilsbury Mortuary, 110 S Bluff Street, St. George, Utah. 435-673-2454. Family and friends are invited to click here to leave a memory on the Spilsbury Mortuary website.