Loretta Lenore Burke

BURKE, LORETTA LENORE Born January 25, 1935; passed January 24, 2016. Preceded in death by father, Lester William Burke and mother, Vergil AnnaMae Burke, nee Brault. Survived by twin sons, Gregory (Heather) Burke and Lee (Marguerite) Burke, brother David (Mary) Burke, grandchildren Sabrina Kirby, David (Suzanne) Burke, Catherine Burke, John Burke and Taran Burke, greatgrandchildren, nieces and cousins. Loretta was born during the winter of 1935 when our country was experiencing a deep economic depression. Her father, Lester, worked on WPA projects and her mother, Vergil AnnaMae, was a salesclerk for Woolworths. Loretta and her little brother, David, stayed with Gramma Brault during the days their mother was at work. Loretta’s grade school days at Ascension School in North Minneapolis were interrupted by a bout of Rheumatic Fever for which she was hospitalized for long periods at Glen Lake Children’s Sanatorium and where she had visiting teachers. Her mother rode the bus to Glen Lake every Sunday to visit Loretta while she in the sanatorium. Sometimes in the summer her brother David, also rode the bus with their mother, but he had to wave from the lawn to Loretta in her upper floor window; children under 16 years of age were not allowed to be visitors in hospitals during the ‘40’s. Loretta worked a short time at Honeywell, then at a wholesale hardware company and then at Hansord Pontiac. She also worked at a fortune cookie factory where she inserted “fortune” messages and folded the cookies as they came hot out of the oven. Loretta did volunteer work at the Boys and Girls Club of Minneapolis and with the Ground Observer Corps (GOC). In the early days of the Cold War our country had volunteers watch the skies for possible enemy air attack. GOC was an arm of Civil Defense. Loretta was a patriot who loved America and the liberties for which we have fought. Loretta raised her twin boys, Gregory and Lee, with only the help of their Gramma Burke and, to a lesser extent, their Uncle David. Her sons prospered and presented her with Loretta’s true joy, her grandchildren. Daughter-in-law, Heather, contributed greatly to Loretta’s care and comfort during her illness. Memorial service 2pm Sunday, January 31, 2016 in the Community Room of Logan Park, 690 13th Street NE (Monroe Street NE and 13th Street NE), Minneapolis. No flowers please.

Tributes

Loretta Lenore Burke

January 24, 2016

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