Amanda "Menna" Burns-Lozano

Amanda “Menna” Laxfoss Burns-Lozano of Royse City, Texas, passed away on her 35th birthday after a brief illness. Born March 31, 1987, to Russell Alan Burns and Brynja “Brenda” Laxfoss (Emmons) Burns in Dallas, Texas, she grew up in Ferris and was raised a Texas girl. 

Before graduating from Waxahachie High School in 2005, she attended school at the age of 9 in Hellisandur, Iceland, where she became fluent in Icelandic. She later attended Lýsuhólskóli in 1999 and 2004 with her “foster” brother, Gísli, in west Iceland and enjoyed every single minute of it. When not attending school in Iceland, she attended 1st through 5th grades at Dallas Junior Academy, an Adventist school, and she attended public schools in Ferris between sixth and eleventh grades. She was very proud of having graduated from Gaston College in North Carolina, starting out as a triple major, having made the President’s List for maintaining a 4.00 GPA, and graduating in 2014 with a degree in computer science. 

Amanda embraced her Icelandic heritage and fell in love with Iceland’s beauty. She loved spending time on the Bláfeldur dairy farm on the Snæfellsness peninsula in west Iceland with long-time family friends, which she called her “foster” family: foster parents Erla Hafdís Steingrímsdóttir and Jóhannes Lúther Gíslason, fosterbrothers, Jónas Ingólfur Lövdal Gunnarsson, Gísli Trausti Jóhannesson, and Daniel Guðni Jóhannesson, fostersisters, Hulda Ólöf Einarsdóttir and Eygló Fjóla Jóhannesdóttir, foster uncle, Bergþór Heimir Sóleyjarson Njarðvík, and foster grandma Sóley “Púmma” Njarðvík Ingólfssóttir. 

She loved to read and was a free spirit, always marching to the beat of her own drum. She was proud to be “weird” and embraced her uniqueness. Growing up with three brothers, she was very protective of them, especially her baby brother, Frank. Her brothers affectionally remember her love of cooking in the microwave, once even cooking a steak! She loved stars, the color purple, bacon, and Harry Potter. 

Amanda was a wonderful mother to her two children, who shared in her love of Harry Potter and the Marvel Universe. She enjoyed rock music -- Queen being one of top favorite bands. She was a daddy’s girl and was very close with her daddy who called her “little princess.” She will be remembered and missed by everyone who knew her. 

She is preceded in death by her grandfathers, Bernard Franklin “Frank” Burns Jr (1931-1979), Alton Jefferson “Jeff” Emmons (1942-2016); uncle, Bryan Antony Emmons Rodgers (1974-2017); foster grandma Sóley Ingólfssóttir (1947-2014) and foster brother, Ingólfur Lövdal (1982-2020). 

Amanda is survived by her children: 13-year-old son, Gavin Jóhann Burns-Lozano, and nine-year-old daughter, Liliana Eydís Lozano; her parents: Russell and Brynja Burns of Gun Barrel City, Texas; brothers: Steven Burns and sister-in-law Shanni of Royse City, Texas, Mitch Burns of Leonard, Texas, and Frank Burns and sister-in-law Jacque of Macomb, Oklahoma; nieces and nephews: Kadeince and Kacein Burns, James and Katie Burns, and Alan and Elizabeth Burns; and grandmothers: Betty Joyce (Bell) Wickliffe of Hutchins, Texas, and Guðný “Gwyn” Laxfoss (Hávarðsdóttir) Downs and step-grandpa, Ivan, of Ava, Missouri. 

Visitation will be 6:00-8:00 PM Friday, April 22, 2022, at First Baptist Church (www.FBCFerris.com), 304 W 5th St, Ferris, Texas. Memorial Service will be at 2:00 PM Saturday, April 23, 2022, at First Baptist Church Ferris, Jim Bell officiating. 

In honor of Amanda and her favorite color, please wear purple to the visitation/service. 

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the educational fund which has been set up for Gavin and Liliana at First State Bank (www.FSBAthens.com), PO Box 1408, Gun Barrel City, TX 75147, Account Number 7829953. Contributions can also be made via Venmo (@GandL22) or CashApp ($GandL22).

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