BURKEN, Hurbert

BURKEN, SIMONS, BRONENKANT, ROSENBERGER, SAUERWEIN

Posted By: Nettie Mae
Date: 1/19/2003 at 00:07:41

Source: The 1901 Biographical Record of Clinton Co., Iowa, Illustrated published: Chicago : S. J. Clarke Pub. Co., 1901.

HURBERT BURKEN.

Prominent among Clinton county’s native sons is Hubert Burken, who is now so capably and satisfactorily serving as chairman of the county board of supervisors. He was born in that part of Clinton township which is now within the corporate limits of the city of Clinton, on the 8th of February, 1864, and is a son of Anton and Annie M. (Simons) Burken. The latter was a daughter of Nicholas Simons. The father was a native of Germany, and on his emigration to the United States, in 1854, settled in Lyons, Iowa, where he first worked as a farm hand for Mr. Jacobson. Later he rented a farm and engaged in agricultural pursuits on his own account. There he spent the remainder of his life, although he bought and sold considerable farm property. He was especially successful as a dairyman. He started with only eight cows, but soon established a large route in Clinton, and to meet the growing demands of his trade he kept adding to his herd until his had forty head at the time of his death. He died of pneumonia in the spring of 1888, at the age of fifty-nine years, and his wife passed away in 1884, at the age of forty-to. In their family were six children, namely: Maggie, wife of S. Simons; Hubert, our subject; Lizzie, a sister in a convent at Dubuque; Catherine, wife of F. Bronenkant; John, who married Rose Rosenberger; and Mary, who is clerking in Reed & Conger’s.

Hubert Burken was educated in the schools of Clinton and here grew to manhood. During his early life he assisted his father in the dairy business, and in 1888 opened a grocery store in partnership with H. H. Fraham, but two years later sold out and became connected with his brother in the same business under the firm name of Burken Brothers. They carried on business quite successfully until September, 1900, when the sold out to Jerry Hass.

In 1892 Mr. Burken married Miss Lizzie Sauerwein, daughter of Joseph Sauerwein, of Dubuque, and to them were born four children: Ruth Gertrude, who died at the age of one year; Marcella: Camelia Joseph; and Claytus. Fraternally, Mr. Burken is a member of the Woodmen of the World and the Commercial League of Clinton, and politically is identified with the Democracy. He served three years as trustee of his township, and in 1898 was elected supervisor on his party ticket. He has since filled the last named office with credit to himself and to the entire satisfaction of his constituents, and is now the efficient and popular chairman of the board. He owns a nice home at 337 Third avenue, which was erected by him in 1893.