Olivia Ellen (Rathburn) Durham, 94, of Battle Creek passed away peacefully Saturday, January 31, 2026 at Bishop Hills Assisted Living in Rockford, surrounded by her family, under hospice care.
A funeral service will be held at 1:00 p.m. Monday, February 9, 2026, at Lighthouse Funeral & Cremation, 1276 Tate Trail, Union City, MI. Olivia’s son, Pastor Marty Burdick, will officiate.
Interment will follow at Battle Creek Memorial Park.
Visitation will be held Sunday, February 8, 2026 from 2:00-5:00 p.m. and again Monday, February 9 from 12:00-1:00 p.m., all at the Lighthouse in Union City.
Olivia was born November 5, 1931, to Harold James and Olivia Alice (Wallace) Rathburn in Battle Creek, Michigan. She was raised in Union City, where she attended the First Congregational UCC and worked alongside her father at his grocery store, Rathburn Supply, in downtown Union City.
She was very bright and was the Valedictorian of her Class of 1949 at Union City High School. Education was important to her, so she went on to Hillsdale College for a semester, before marrying her high school sweetheart, Earl Burdick, March 3, 1950.
The couple raised 3 children together, but the union ended in divorce in 1976. Several years later, she married Robert “Bob” Durham on June 5, 1981; he survives. She moved from the Union City area to Battle Creek with Bob at that time and she has lived there ever since.
Livy or Olivia Ellen, as her friends in school called her, was a social butterfly. She was involved with Lady’s Day at the Gull Lake Bible Camp for many years, participated in numerous lady’s bible studies, and even went on a missionary trip to Russia. She attended several local bible churches through the years.
Olivia was so proud of her large family, which was quite different from being raised an only child. She was also proud of her Union City heritage and the time she spent there.
In addition to her husband, Bob Durham of Battle Creek; Olivia is also survived by her children, Jeff Burdick of Rockford, Linda (Stan) Maurer of Athens, and Marty (Donna) Burdick; step-sons, David (Taren) Durham of Zeeland and Mark (Rebecca) Durham of Battle Creek; many grandchildren; great-grandchildren; great-great-grandchildren; and several cousins.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her daughter-in-law, Wanda Burdick; and her former spouse, Earl Burdick.
Memorial contributions may be directed to Marty Burdick, c/o Lighthouse, P.O. Box 161, Union City, MI 49094 and the family intends to create a scholarship fund in Olivia’s memory at Union City High School.
Please visit www.lighthousefuneral.com to share memories, pictures, and videos with the family.
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