Ethel Marie (Hardyman) Burghart

Ethel Marie (Hardyman) Burghart, age 87, of San Antonio, Texas passed away October 2, 2025. Ethel was born on December 19, 1937, in Fayette Township, WI. She was the sixth of eight children born to Thomas and Vera (Cassidy) Hardyman. By all accounts, she was a fireball of energy and didn’t stand still for long. Growing up on a dairy farm gave her many outlets to burn off that energy. She had a sharp sense of wit, a gift for injecting humor in all situations and loved being the center of attention. Ethel was truly one of a kind.

She would tell you that she always hated her name. She considered legally changing her name but never did because it cost too much money. Around the time that she was diagnosed with vascular dementia in 2014, she started telling everyone that her name was E.B., and that the initials stood for ‘Extra-Beautiful.’ Even though the name change confused those that had always known her as Ethel, they eventually caught on.

Ethel graduated from Mineral Point High School in 1957. She made lifelong friendships with her classmates and managed to make it back to many of her high school reunions all the way from Houston, Texas. Her visits home always included large gatherings with her siblings and their families, filled with laughter and love.

She married her high school sweetheart, Sherman Sporle, right after high school graduation and shared two children with him, Vickie and Tom. Divorce followed not long after. Love struck again and she married Francis Burghart when she was twenty-five. They shared three children, Cathy, Teresa, and Jeff and after 13 years of marriage, they divorced in 1978. She later married Mario Bucchi, but they ultimately decided that they would be better off as friends. Ethel never remarried after that, even though she had several offers.

Ethel started her day at 5:00 AM reading her bible with her morning coffee in hand. She always told her five children that it was the only way she could get some peace and quiet throughout the day. Ethel was raised in the Catholic faith and later in life found comfort in the Unitarian Church, enjoying the wisdom and community of both. Ethel was a deeply spiritual person and continually worked at spiritual growth as the boxes of spiritual books and CDs of recorded sermons and journals found in her possessions can attest.

She worked hard all her life. She would have told you that she worked her tail off. She was born to a generation of women that were expected to either become a housewife, teacher, or nurse, but never one to be told what to do, she forged her own path. Her boundless energy, determination and intelligence made her excel in any field that she selected. She started out selling residential real estate with Gary Greene Better Homes and Gardens in Houston. One of her proudest accomplishments (aside from her five children, of course) was winning Salesman of the Year and top producer for multiple years. She went on to work in a supervisory capacity in commercial and multi-family property management with Landsing Property Management and Metro National Corporation. When she decided to slow down a bit at the age of fifty-eight, she worked for the Archdiocese of Galveston/Houston as a Rectory Assistant at St. John Vianney Catholic Church in Houston and later at Christ the Good Shepard in Spring, TX. Her job description included everything from managing construction projects for the parish office to cooking for the priests. She even had her own catering company for a time, Ethel’s Country Cooking, preparing complete meals for sale.

Ethel was a great cook. We marveled at her ability to stretch a single chicken into a week’s worth of meals for a family of five. She was truly a great baker; a skill shared by her mother and several siblings. For years, she would spend one day a week baking everything including bread, cookies and pies or cakes for the week...while working full-time. Cooking for her family and friends was how she showed her love, and you counted yourself blessed if you were one of the lucky recipients.

She was never one to sit at home. She wouldn’t dream of leaving the house without lipstick, earrings, and a necklace. This ritual continued through the last stages of dementia when she would leave the house wearing pajamas and coat … and earrings, necklace, and lipstick. She would throw a fit otherwise.

She loved country and western dancing and was known to go out dancing several times a week and even taught dance classes. She was passionate about her physical health and worked out daily. Her regimen included squats, sit-ups, strengthening exercises (frequently using canned goods for weights), jumping rope, and walking two miles, almost daily. She kept up with all the exercise until late in life. She finally stopped jumping rope in her late seventies. Ethel always watched her weight but had a serious struggle with all things sweet. Her solution was classic Ethel – she chose her dessert first since dessert was non-negotiable and then selected a small appetizer instead of an entrée to balance her calories. She was incredibly proud that she could still wear all the belts in her possession into her eighties.

Ethel was adamant about not wanting a wake or a funeral service – but she never said anything about a party. Her family doesn’t believe that she had ever objected to a party in her life. Her wish was to have her cremated ashes buried at St. Michael’s Cemetery in Blanchardville, WI, near her parents. This will be a private affair for her immediate family. A party will be held in the Spring of 2026 in the Darlington, WI area; further details will be shared with friends and family as the date approaches. We can tell you now that Boot Skootin’ Boogie by Brooks & Dunn will be played. It was one of E.B.’s favorite songs. This gives you time to learn how to line dance if you don’t know how or at least learn to clap to the rhythm.

In lieu of donations or flowers, Ethel would be honored if you would get up and go do something fun. Late in her disease, Ethel would get so worked up and repeatedly exclaim “everyone is always on their damn calculators! They’re so boring!” Smartphones do look like small calculators to someone born in 1937.

If you asked her what should you do, she would probably tell you to go country and western dancing. It doesn’t matter if you don’t know how, someone will be happy to show you. If an injury or two left feet prohibits that, sit there and enjoy the music. Strike up a conversation with a perfect stranger. She excelled at that. Invite a friend or coworker for coffee. Host a potluck. Volunteer for the Red Cross – she did. Go to a Broadway show in your city or volunteer as an usher if you can’t afford a ticket – Ethel did that, too. Heck, plan a trip to another city. You get the picture. She would tell you that you have a life to live and sitting at home or spending your day attached to a smartphone is not the way to live it.

Something that was near and dear to her heart was spending time with the elderly. Ethel devoted countless hours visiting with elderly friends, knowing that seniors are often forgotten or lonely. If she saw a need, she was there. In honor of Ethel, consider visiting a senior. Your visit could brighten someone’s day, just as she did. You don’t need to spend money, just spend quality time without interruption. You don’t even need to know an elderly person; many senior living facilities would be thrilled to have you volunteer your time. Ethel had so many fond memories and stories of her time with her older friends. She would want that for you.

Ethel is survived by her sister, Judy (Sheldon) Isely of Eldridge, Iowa and her brother, Raymond (Chris) Hardyman of Marana, Arizona and by her five children, Vickie (Brooks) O’Hara of Bradenton, Florida, Tom (Tammy) Burghart of Georgetown, Texas, Cathy (Keith) Henderson of San Antonio, Texas, Teresa (Kevin) Bell of San Antonio, Texas and Jeffery Burghart of San Antonio, Texas; seven grandchildren that she regularly bragged about throughout her lifetime - Jordan Bell, Kelly Kirk, Michael Kirk, Zachary Burghart, Amber Burghart, Sean O’Hara, Ashley O’Hara, and several great-grandchildren, too. She was a proud aunt to thirty-seven wonderful nieces and nephews.

Ethel was a participant in the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study, one of the most extensive social science studies ever conducted, which has tracked over 10,000 people—including her graduating class—since 1957.

A special thanks to Donna and Val Ionescu of Donna’s Care Home in Boerne, Texas. They are angels here on earth. The love and outstanding care that they showed Ethel in her final days was truly a blessing.