Wilhelm “William” Burck (Burke) (1834-1913)

Sources: Joyce (Hansen) George
and The Silver City Times

Webmaster Notes: On p. 136 in Mills County Iowa Cemeteries, a Wilhelm “Buerk” is listed as having no gravestone, but is listed as a possible burial at the cemetery based upon “difficult to decipher” church records written in “old script”. Also, both his and his wife's obituaries spell the last name as “Burke”, but his wife's gravestone and church records (see below) spell it as “Burck”, although it would be easy to misread as “Buerk” or “Bucrk” in the case of Wilhelm.

Through Loess Hills Funeral Home, Bob Burck added a new stone for his great-grandfather William in 2016.

The funeral of William Burke, the old resident of Lewis township, who died at the Kiel hotel Thursday noon, was held Sunday at the brick church in Boomer township. Rev. Hoff of Treynor conducted the services, which were largely attended. Burial was in the Plumer cemetery. The pallbearers were John Alberts, John Young, Frank Rabunz, William Kustin, William Horn and Henry Schoening.

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Wilhelm Burke, a pioneer farmer of Plumer settlement died suddenly of heart failure at the Kiel hotel in Council Bluffs Thursday afternoon at the age of 79 years. Mr. Burke went to the city in the morning on business. He was taken ill shortly after his arrival there and went to the office of a doctor who advised him to go to a hospital and get a rest. He returned to the hotel where he was given a room and layed down where some time later the clerk found him dead. Mr. Burke came to this section in 1871 and has lived in this vicinity ever since. He leaves to mourn his death four sons and five daughters. The sons are Charles and Chris of Plumer settlement, Fred of Plainview, Neb, and Wm. of Independence, Kan. The daughters are Lena of Traer, Ia, Mary of Menlo, Ia., Wilhelmina and Sarah of Plumer settlement and Anna of Council Bluffs. His wife died eleven years ago. The funeral services were held Sunday at the Plumer settlement brick church. Interment was made in the Plumer settlement cemetery.