Mrs. Etta Burke 1870-1950

BURKE, WALLACE, NORBY, KENDALL, THORESON, LEETCH, NEWMAN

Posted By: Connie Swearingen (email)
Date: 10/31/2007 at 20:47:43

19 October 1950 Onawa Weekly Democrat

Mrs. Etta Burke 80, of Turin, Died Last Sunday

Long Time Resident of Co. Passed Away Sunday, Oct 15, of a Heart Ailment

Funeral Services Were Held at the Methodist Church in Turin Wednesday. Burial in Belvidere Cemetery.

The death of Mrs. Etta Burke, 80, which occurred at her home in Turin on Sunday, October 15th following a heart ailment brought the Democrat many memories of an early day.

It was some 50 years ago that we made our acquaintance with this good woman, it was at Soldier, Iowa. She and her husband the late Charles Burke, were operating a hotel, and I as a young man was publishing Soldier’s first newspaper. It was hard going in those days, and many weeks we found ourselves without funds to pay our week’s board bill, but Grandma Burke, as she was known always came to our rescue, and through her kindness, we were always able to sit down at the table in her hotel for a meal and given the privilege pf paying later.

She was a kind, loveable woman, with a heart of gold. Her friends were her dearest possessions, and her good deeds will be remembered by the many who knew her.

She was born at Volka, S.D, August 18, 1870 and became the wife of Charles Burke, of Volka, November 20, 1887. After their marriage and short residence in the South Dakato town, they moved to this county where they made their home. After leaving Soldier they moved to the vicinity of Turin, where Mr. Burke devoted himself to farming. He preceded Mrs. Burke in death some years ago.

Mrs. Burke is survived by ten children: 4 sons, Clarence, a well known merchant of Turin: Harry, Donald and Milford, of Los Angeles, Calif: 6 daughters, Mrs. Bessie Wallace, of Ida Grove: Mrs. Cora Norby, of Little Sioux: Mrs. Bertha Kendall of Council Bluffs: Mrs. Florence Thoreson of Sioux City: Mrs. Mildred Leetch of Soldier and Mrs. Olive Newman of Oto, Iowa.
Funeral services were conducted from the Methodist church at Turin on Wednesday with Rev. Kenneth Metcalf, of Onawa officiating. Burial was made in the Belvidere cemetery.

Mrs. Burke was a member of the Methodist Church at Turin as well as the church society the W.S.C.S.