Burke, Agnes M. 1916-2001

BURKE, DIERS, NABER

Posted By: Linda Ziemann, Volunteer
Date: 4/17/2007 at 20:05:26

AGNES M. BURKE

LE MARS, Iowa – Agnes M. Burke, 85, of LeMars died unexpectedly Friday, Aug. 10, 2001, at her residence.

Services will be 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in LeMars, with the Rev. Andrew Hoffman officiating. Burial will be in Calvary Cemetery in Ruthven, Iowa. Visitation will be after 3 p.m. Monday, with a Christian Mothers rosary at 4 p.m., and a Scriptural wake service at 7 p.m., all at Feuerstein Funeral Home in LeMars.

Mrs. Burke was born Aug. 2, 1916, in Granville, Iowa, the daughter of Bernard and Anna (Naber) Diers. She grew up in Granville, and attended St. Joseph’s Parochial School in Granville. She graduated from St. Mary’s Academy in Alton, Iowa, in 1934.

She was a clerk at Fischer’s Store and relief organist at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church. She attended Cherokee Junior College in Cherokee, Iowa, for one year, earning her teacher’s certificate. She taught in rural schools in Sioux, Cherokee, O’Brien and Plymouth Counties for 10 years. She also taught kindergarten and first grade in Sutherland, Iowa, for two years.

She married John J. Burke on June 26, 1946, at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Granville. After their marriage, she taught in rural schools in Plymouth County. She was also employed at the J.C. Penney store in LeMars as a clerk and cashier. After an absence from teaching, she continued her education at Westmar College in LeMars. She substituted at Gehlen Schools in LeMars for seven years and did private tutoring in her home. She then taught first grade at Gehlen for 11 years until her retirement in 1978.

Her husband died on July 8, 1999.

She was a member of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, Christian Mothers Society, St. Anthony’s Guild, Franciscan Affiliates, Carmel Guild and Queen of Peace. She was a former member of the Iowa Rural Teachers’ Association, Iowa State Teachers’ Association and the Elderly Peer Group.

Survivors include two daughters, Bernadine (Bernie) Burke of Sioux City, and Gwen and her husband, Jon Borgen, of Badger, Minn.; three grandchildren, Mark, Katie and Amy Borgen; two sisters-in-law, Genevieve Diers of Waterloo, Iowa and Gertrude Diers of Hubertus, Wis.; two brothers-in-law, Henry Marks, of West Bend, Wis., and Bernard Burke of Bend, Ore.; and nieces and nephews.

She was also preceded in death by four brothers, Carl in infancy, Sylvester J., Herbert F. and Ludwig (Lou) R.; and three sisters, Martha C. Diers, Rita M. Thiesen and Monica M. Marks.

Pallbearers will be her former Gehlen School first-grade students.

[Part of the Darrell Easton Obituary Collection]