Jan (Widen) BURKART

BURKART, WIDEN, CHRISTIAN, BURKART-CHRISTIAN, WATSON, NELSON

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 9/5/2010 at 23:32:38

Press-Enterprise, Riverside, California
January 23, 2008

May 8, 1943 -- January 18, 2008

JAN BURKART -- Jan was welcomed into this world by her parents, Dale and Irene Widen, on May 8, 1943 in Corwith, Iowa. She graduated from Corwith Wesley High School in 1961 and then attended Medical Assistant School in Minneapolis. In 1963 she moved to Dubuque, Iowa where she moved to Dubuque, Iowa where she worked at Mercy Hospital Pediatric Department for two years. But it was when she went to work for Medical Associates in the Industrial Emergency Department that she met her husband and best friend for life, Tom. They were married on July 22, 1967 at St. Columbkille's Parish. They moved to Riverside, California at the end of January 1978. Jan was a devout Catholic and a member of St. Columbkille's Parish, St. Catherine of Alexandria Parish of Riverside, California and St. Francis De Sales Parish, Riverside, California. Her faith was the foundation of her daily life, and she had a great devotion to Our Lady of Lourdes. Her favorite place on earth was Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto at the University of Notre Dame, South Bend, Indiana. Jan enjoyed all activities that allowed her to spend time with her family friends and grandchildren. Jan Burkart is survived by her husband, Tom; their four children, Timothy Thomas (Lisa Burkart) of Carlsbad, California, Barbara Jean Burkhart-Christian (Lt. Colonel Patrick Christian) of Portland, Oregon, Christine Ann Burkart Watson (Derek Watson) of Beaverton, Oregon, and David Daniel Burkart of Beaverton, Oregon; two grandsons, Braden Timothy Nelson and Alex Thomas Burkart. She is also survived by her mother, Irene Widen and her brother, Tom Dale Widen of Fort Dodge, Iowa. Her father, Dale Widen, preceded her in death. She is survived by her sister-in-law, Carol Burkart of Dubuque, Iowa. Jan succumbed to her fight with cancer on Friday, January 18th, 2008 at 5pm. A Funeral Mass was held Tuesday, Jan. 22, 2008 at 2:30pm at St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church with interment in Dubuque, Iowa. In lieu of flowers, send donations to St. Francis de Sales & National brain Tumor Foundation, 22 Battery St., Ste 612, San Francisco, CA 94111. Preston and Simons Mortuary Directors.