Artist paints a church wall in memory of teen girl

BENTON, Mo. -- Andrea Burford will be remembered as a sweet, lively girl who loved Walt Disney movies and animals.

Her love for animals and her memory is now enshrined in a memorial mural in at St. Denis Catholic Church in Benton, where she was a member with her parents and two sisters, Audrey and Alana. The Rev. Normand Varone blessed the mural Feb. 10 following a memorial Mass for Andrea.

Andrea, daughter of Paul and Marilyn Burford, died June 16, 2005, from a rare blood vessel disorder that caused pressure to rise in the main artery between her heart and lungs. She was 16 and a junior at Kelly School. Andrea was diagnosed with the disorder three years before her death after doctors discovered a hole in her heart.

Cathy Blattel, a local artist and friend of Andrea's family, painted the 12-by-4-foot mural at the family's request in the church's "cry room," where mothers take crying babies to comfort them during church services.

The mural shows a wide array of animals on their way to Noah's Ark.

The Rev. Normand Varone said a blessing dedicating the Noah's Ark mural in memory of Andrea Burford at St. Denis Catholic Church in Benton, Mo. Cathy Blattel, a local artist, painted the mural. (Submitted photo)

"Andrea loved animals," Blattel said. "The family wanted something educational. I just thought the story of Noah's Ark would be something other children would enjoy."

Blattel said she worked on the mural most evenings and weekends for about nine months.

"I was very excited and nervous about doing something so important," she said.

She used a latex acrylic paint because she knew little ones would be attracted to the mural.

"I thought it would be touched a lot, so I put an acrylic coating over it. We won't have to worry about damaging it," Blattel said.

Visitors can see the mural throughout the day when the church is open.

Andrea's love of animals and her memory are now preserved.

"She was always happy," Blattel said. "She was just a fun girl; she was sweet."

lredeffer@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 160