Sylvian Burden

Sylvian Margaret “Determan” Burden

Sylvian Burden left this world on April 7, 2020 at 12:53pm, at this time her husband Donald R. Burden, her son Donald R. Burden Jr, her granddaughter Sylvian Nicole Granado Burden and her sister-in-law Jo-an Newman all of Roswell were present..

Sylvian was born on July 16, 1937 in Enid, Oklahoma to Zen F. and Arlean Determan. Sylvian graduated from high school and went to Newman College in Wichita, Kansas. She received a degree in medical technology with a minor in bacteriology and parasitology I met Sylvian in early 1960. While she was working at Lovelace Hospital in Albuquerque and I was in school at UMN we were married July 22, 1961 I started law school in the fall and Sylvian got pregnant with our first son who was born on June 14, 1962 in the following two years we had two more boys Robin and Chris.. we had moved to Roswell in January of 1962 and Sylvian started working for the old St. Mary’s hospital and shortly after she went to work for the baby doctors Pruitt and Hyslop. This eventually evolved into her working for Rio Pecos where she worked until retirement in 1999, she work for 35 years at Rio Pecos Sylvian loved her work but shortly after retiring she developed breast cancer and she took chemo, radiation, then five years of pills. She was a twenty-year survivor from cancer she also survived the tragic loss of our middle son Robin in 1982 in a car accident and the loss of our youngest son Chris in another car accident in 1996. She was a tough old Okie gal. She walked to first grade 2 or 3 miles or rode horseback sometimes even through the snow. With 58 wonderful years of marriage together we lived in the same house for 43 years living with my mother and father on one side and her mother and father on the other. My son Donald Jr now lives on one side and my sister on the other. I bought her a Corvette one time she didn't like it so my partner and I traded it for a little Cessna 150 airplane, and I took some lessons and soloed so I could land and take off by myself. Sylvians coworkers at Rio Pecos wanted to know if she was going to fly with me, she said “I’ve been flying with him all this time on the ground so I guess I will.”

Sylvian was involved with St. Peter Church for many years playing the organ until her fingers became stiff. She belonged to the Catholic Daughters for a while, she was a member of the “Huffy Duffy Gang” that cleaned the church once a week she loved doing this with the other ladies but when she got older they wouldn’t let her go down to the basement, she was still mad about this. She missed this and you guys for the last year.

Sylvian was the oldest of her generation of Determans at the last convention we attended she had over 30 first cousins she had many, many nieces and nephews; she had one brother, Richard Determan and his wife Elaine of Amarillo, TX. She also has 5 great grandchildren 4 girls and 1 grandson; her oldest granddaughter Tiffany Whited, mother of Jazlyn and Merryan and her younger granddaughter Sylvian Nicole Granado, mother to Janette, Joseph, and Serenity. We all miss you very much, I miss you very much. Even though all your grandkids and family were not able to say their goodbyes they all loved you so much you have always been the biggest most beautiful shining star in my life grandma you made me the women and mother I am today and without you I am lost but I will always know how much you cared and loved us all.

In this memory of Sylvian M Determan-Burden .. Those we love don't go away; they walk beside us everyday unseen, unheard but always near. Still loved, still missed and every day you'll always be in our hearts to say I love you my dear now rest and be at peace because I am, so don't cry just be brave and strong for one another and enjoy life's little moments spent with your heads held high, with a smile as I watch you from the beautiful sky above.

A rosary will be held at 10:30 1m, Monday, June 21, 2012 at St. Peter Catholic Church with mass to follow at 11:00 am. Father Charlie Martinez OFM will be officiating.