Terry Linda (Whaley) Burns, 72, of Bluffton, passed away Tuesday morning, Nov. 3, 2020, at her residence.

Terry was born at Home Hospital in Lafayette on Oct. 2, 1948, to Lawrence Louis and Patricia Joyce (Wilbanks) Whaley.  She married Merlin J. Burns on July 31, 1971, at St. Augustine Catholic Church in Rensselaer.  They were married 20 years before he preceded her in death on Dec. 1, 1991.

A 1966 graduate from Mt. Ayr High School (now North Newton HS), Terry later graduated from Ball State University in 1970, with a degree in social work and a teaching degree in US History and Sociology.  She later obtained her master's degree in Library Science from Indiana University in 1989.

Terry worked at Mix-Mill but eventually resigned so that she could stay home to raise her three sons.  After a few years, she went back to work part-time at the Montpelier Library and in 1987 she started working at the Wells County Public Library part-time while attending master's classes at IU.  She would remain as a part-time librarian at WCPL even after starting at Bluffton High School in 1994.

Terry retired from Bluffton High School in June of 2014, after 20 years as the librarian, all while still working part-time at WCPL.  She was the founding vice-president of the Francois Godfroy chapter of the DAR in Montpelier and was a member of Tri-Kappa in Montpelier for several years.

Survivors include three sons, Morgan Burns of Ann Arbor, MI, Conor (Nicole) Burns of Bluffton, and Logan (Brittany) Burns of  Bluffton; five grandchildren, Tyler Godwin, Collin Burns, Gabriella Godwin, Brooklyn Gentis, and Grayson Gentis; and one sister, Karen Whaley of Deerfield Beach, FL.

In addition to her parents and husband, Terry was preceded in death by a sister, Barbara Whaley.

Visitation will be on Thursday, Nov. 5, 2020, from 2:00 until 8:00 PM, at Goodwin – Cale & Harnish Memorial Chapel in Bluffton.  Services will be on Friday, Nov. 6, 2020, at 10:30 AM, at the funeral home, with one hour of visitation prior to the service at the funeral home. Pastor Todd Rupp will officiate. Private burial will be at Elm Grove Cemetery in Bluffton.

Masks are strongly encouraged at the visitation and service.  Thank you for your cooperation.

In lieu of floral tributes and gifts, memorial contributions may be made to the Wells County Public Library, BHS Library Information Center, or Friends Who Care Cancer Relief Foundation.