Virginia Burke

Virginia Anne (Gilmore) Burke was born June 21, 1919, in Council Bluffs, Iowa to George and Anna (Horrigan) Gilmore. She moved to Dunlap when she was in high school, and graduated from St. Joseph High School. On September 16, 1940, she married Joseph Burke. He died on October 14, 1982. Virginia worked as a cook at St. Joseph Catholic School and the Dunlap Public School. She was famous for her divinity and cinnamon rolls.

Virginia was a member of the St. Patrick Church, Altar Society, Catholic Daughters of America, and was also a CCD teacher. Sixty years ago she spear-headed a red ribbon fund-raising campaign to purchase a resuscitator for the Dunlap Fire and Rescue Squad.

Virginia died on Sunday, May 18, 2014, at the Dunlap Nursing & Rehab Center at the age of 94 years, 10 months, and 27 days.

Virginia enjoyed traveling around the United States and Europe. She was especially fond of her trips to Ireland. She was an avid sports fan, enjoyed playing cards, and had a very large postcard collection. Virginia loved spending time with family and friends.

Virginia was preceded in death by her parents; husband; parents-in-law; daughter-in-law, Donna Burke; four brothers, Joseph, John, George, and Paul Gilmore; two sisters, Eileen Delehant, Mary Louise Asman; four brothers-in-law; six sisters-in-law; and several nephews and nieces. She is survived by her four children, JoAnne and Dr. James Schwade, of Kankakee, Illinois, Mary Ellen and Dennis Young of Burney, California, Patrick and Sandy Burke of Ledyard, Connecticut, and James Burke of Adams, Wisconsin; sister-in-law, Bonnie Gilmore; eight grandchildren, Ryan Young, Katherine Castellanous, Jennifer and Julie Schwade, Joe and Erin Burke, Michael and Matthew Burke, and two great-grandchildren, Cecila and Adrianna Castellanous. She is also survived by Mike and Paula Riester who she adopted in her heart, and many nieces and nephews, especially Mary Lou and Wayne Mikels.