Martina Bursik

Martina M. Bursik, age 94, of Faribault, passed away Friday, May 2, 2014 at the District One Hospital in Faribault.

Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Wednesday, May 7, 2014, at 10:30 a.m. at the Divine Mercy Catholic Church, 139 Mercy Drive, Faribault, with Fr. Kevin Finnegan, pastor, officiating. Interment will be at the Maple Lawn Cemetery in Faribault.

Visitation will be held at the church on Wednesday from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m.

The family prefers that memorials be directed to the Faribault Area Hospice, Divine Mercy Catholic Church or Bethlehem Academy High School in memory of Martina.

Martina Marie Gugger, the daughter of Francis and Aloisia (Frei) Gugger, was born in Widnau, Switzerland on June 11, 1919, the oldest of eight children. At age 8 the family immigrated to the Hudson Valley, Esopus, NY where her father became a dairy farmer.

Martina attended the local country school through grade 6, at which time she transferred to the Academy of St. Ursula in Kingston, NY. After graduating from high school, the Esopus postmaster hired her as Assistant Post Mistress. She attended Morans' School of Business in Kingston three evenings per week.

In January 1938, she went to Boston, to study at Emmanuel College where she earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in June 1941. Two days after graduation the Federal Reserve Bank employed her in the Bond Department.

America was entering World War II and the Federal Bureau of Investigation field office was near the bank. Martina applied for work there and was employed as a German, French and Italian Translator in the NY FBI field office in the U.S. Court House, New York City, NY. She worked here for the duration of World War II. On Feb. 9, 1946, she resigned from the Bureau and married First Lt. Lester Bursik in the Chapel of St. Patrick's Cathedral, New York City. The couple moved to Minnesota in the spring of 1946, first to Austin, then to Faribault in 1954, where they raised their family of four children. In 1966 Martina was employed by the City of Faribault as the City Librarian of Buckham Memorial Library. She also attended the University of Minnesota to gain her Masters Degree, which she received in 1969. She retired in June of 1984 and resided in Faribault.

Martina was a member of the Mother Cabrini Club, the Traveler's Club, Keller Club, Kiwanis Club and is a member of the Divine Mercy Catholic Church, where she was an active volunteer. Martina was also a volunteer at District One Hospital for the Meals on Wheels program and also gave rides for Cancer Patients who needed to get to their treatments. She is a life member of the Rice County Historical Society.

She is survived by a son, Stephen (and Patricia) Bursik of Faribault; by three daughters, Jan Marie (and John) St. Ores of Stillwater, Elyse Kristine Cashman of Wayzata, and Emma Onawa of Frontenac; by eight grandchildren, twelve great grandchildren and by a sister, Sister Alphonsine Gugger of Wilton, CT and other relatives.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Lester Bursik in 1983, and by three brothers, Karl Eugene Gugger, Robert Gugger and Anthony Otto Gugger.

For online tributes and further information, please visit www.ParkerKohlFuneralHome.com