REV. W. F. BURKE
Rev. W. F. Burke, present pastor of the Atlantic M. Church, was born August 26, 1843, on a farm near Greenburg, Decatur county, Indiana. He was educated in the common schools and at Moore's Hill college, the latter being located in Dearborn county, Indiana. In April, 1861, he volunteered as a private in company B, Seventh Indiana Infantry, and spent his term of service, which was three mouths, in West Virginia. In the summer of 1862, he was again mustered into the United States service for the term of one month, and spent the time in Kentucky, serving as a scout. He was also in the State militia, which was called out to repel General John Morgan's invasion of Indiana in the summer of 1863. In December, 1863, he enlisted for the term of three years or during the war, and was commissioned second lieutenant of company H, One hundredth and Twenty-third Indiana Infantry, and served to September, 1865. He was in the Atlanta campaign under Sherman, which was almost a continuous skirmish or battle, and was in the battles of Resaca, Dallas, Lost Mountain, Atlanta, Franklin, Nashville, Keuesaw Mountain and Kingston, North Carolina. After being mustered out of the service in September, 1865, he returned to his home in Indiana, where he remained until 1868, when he came to Iowa. After his return from the army his time was employed on a farm and teaching school, until 1870, when he began the study of law in the office of Piatt Wicks, at Harlan, Shelby county. He was admitted to the bar in 1872, and formed a partnership with Mr. Wicks, which continued about a year, at the expiration of which time he was licensed to preach by the Atlantic district conference of the Methodist Episcopal church. In September, 1873, he was admitted into the Des Moines conference on trial and was appointed to the Casey circuit, where he remained until September, 1875, when he was appointed to Dexter. He also filled appointments at Panora, Guthrie County, and Chariton, Lucas county, and was appointed to Atlantic in September, 1883. He was ordained as deacon in September, 1875, by Bishop Harris and was ordained elder in September, 1877, by Bishop Ames. Mr. Burke was married May 8, 1873, to Louisa M. Anderson, a native of Henry county, Iowa. She received her education in the common schools and at Simpson Centenary college, at Indianola, Iowa. They have five children--Ernest A., Mary D., Effie, Harold S., and Ray.
Contributed by Lisa Varnes-Rex from "History of Cass County, Iowa. Together With Sketches of its Towns, Villages and Townships, Educational, Civil, Military and Political History: Portraits of Prominent Persons, and Biographies of Old Settlers and Representative Citizens." Springfield, Ill.: Continental Historical Company, 1884, pg. 420.
