The ""Real"" George Burns age 85 of Morristown, passed away on Wednesday, December 11, 2013 at
Five Counties Nursing Home in Lemmon.

The Funeral Service will be held at 11:00am MT Monday, December 16, 2013 at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Morristown with Pastor Ed Zimmerman from Spencer Memorial Presbyterian Church in Lemmon officiating. Burial will be in the Morristown Cemetery with full military honors afforded by the Smith-Lyman American Legion Post #279 of ThunderHawk.

A gathering for friends and family will be held at 6:30pm on Sunday evening at the Evanson-Jensen Funeral Home in Lemmon.

Special music will be provided by Connie Maier and Leslie Niederman.

Serving as casketbearers are Duane Eggebraaten, Art and Alan Berends, Ron Fagen, Greg Tatro, and Gary Uhrig. All of George's former hired hands, his friends and relatives are considered honorary bearers.

George William Burns was born June 17, 1928 in Granite Falls, MN to John S. and Ella (Evans Barnes) Burns. His parents homesteaded in 1916, 20 miles south of Morristown, later moving back to Minnesota in the late 1920's. They eventually left Minnesota and move back to South Dakota in 1942.

George attended school in Minnesota and at age 12 moved with his parents and brother Earl to the homestead south of Morristown where at an early age he began farming and ranching.

On January 22, 1952, George was inducted into the U.S. Army. He served during the Korean Conflict in Germany and was honorably discharged on January 5, 1955. He then returned to the Morristown where he continued farming and ranching.

George was united in marriage to Lillian ""Tootie"" (Beyers) Varland Kanis on Feburary 14, 1970 at Lemmon, SD. Along with his step-son, Bob Varland, George continued to expand his farming and ranching operation to include an irrigation system. At one time he had a large hog operation with over 1000 head. He was very passionate about farming and ranching and always eager to share a story or two from his early years on the farm to current farming practices and always had a joke to share.

He was able to live in his own home the past couple years with the help and care given him by his family, grandson, Casey and special friends Gary and Lorraine Uhrig.

George served on the Corson County ASCS Board, FSA Board, and a member of the Smith-Lyman American Legion Post #279 and served as past Vice Commander.

George loved attending farm auction sales as much as the auctioneers loved George attending the sales, if they couldn't get rid of something, George would take it. He loved tractor pulls and parades and entered many of his John Deere tractors. He fully restored over 25 John Deere tractors and had many more running. On October 8, 2011, he sold over 85 John Deere tractors at his John Deere collector's auction.

George loved dancing, especially with Tootie, and they belonged to many dance clubs.

Surviving family members include his brother and sister-in-law, Earl and Shirley Burns, Mobridge, SD; daughter-in-law, Karen Varland, Lemmon, SD; grandsons, Robert L. Varland Jr., and Casey Varland, both of Morristown, SD; granddaughter, Camille Varland McMakin and her husband, Marlon McMakin, Dallas, TX; great grandson, Hudson, step great grandsons, Jacob and Ryan; and special family friends, Greg and Gwen Tatro and family, and Amber David and Adyson; and numerous nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife Lillian ""Tootie"" on March 15, 2005, step-sons, Bob Varland on May 20, 2012, and Don Kanis, step-daughter, Donna Varland, infant brother, Murphy Frank Burns, and sisters, Myrtle Eggebraaten, Edna Fagen, and Hazel Berends.

Visitation will be on Sunday from 1:00pm to 6:30pm at the Evanson-Jensen Funeral Home in Lemmon and on Monday one hour prior to services at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Morristown.