John Raymond Burk, 91, of Atwood, KS, left this world on May 12, 2020. He was born on June 13, 1928, on the family farm north of McDonald, KS, where he lived until his retirement years. He was the youngest child of John Stephen and Helena Anna (Deyle) Burk.
John and his four siblings attended Lone Tree Grade School, District 68, which was two miles from his boyhood home. He graduated from McDonald High School in 1946. He attended college for one year at Kansas Wesleyan, where he enjoyed accounting and singing in the university choir. He then returned to the family farm. John and his brother, Arthur, started farming together in 1949.
John was married on October 14th, 1952, to Virginia (Virgie) Horinek at Sts. Cyril and Methodius Catholic Church, rural Atwood. To this union, six children were born: Daniel John, Diane Marie, twins John Carl and Joan Carol, Betty Ann, and Allan Gerard. John and Virgie celebrated 67 years of marriage together.
John was a dedicated farmer and enjoyed seeing progress with livestock and farming. One of John’s biggest passions was water wells and pipelines, as he knew how precious water was in his area. He and Virgie installed their first flat-channel terraces in 1970. They received the Soil Conservation Award (1972, the Windbreak Award, the Good Year Award (1983) for improvements made to the farm, the Farm Bureau Century Farm Award (2014, and the Monsignor John George Weber Century Farm Award (2015). John and Virgie moved to Atwood in 2003. John still enjoyed helping with livestock and farming or wherever he was needed.
John had a wonderful memory for details of the years gone by. He could easily recall the bushels per acre that each field yielded per year, could recollect how much moisture was received on specific dates, and easily remembered names and dates from other historical events. Some of his favorite stories to tell included the tornado in 1932 that destroyed several buildings on the farm, the droughts of the 1930’s and 1950’s, the many hailstorms, and three-day blizzards.
John was an active member of St. John’s Catholic Church. He served two terms on the Parish Council and was a lector, a Fourth Degree Knight of Columbus, and a member of the Catholic Workman. He especially enjoyed singing in the church choir. John was a man of faith. Praying the Rosary and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy were an important part of his day. He would often say, “I’m preparing for my final exam!” He helped instill his strong Catholic faith into the lives of his children and grandchildren.
John was very involved in his community. He served 26 years on the Kansas Electric Coop Board. He also served on the McDonald School Board, the Mayflower Telephone Board, the Burntwood Township Board, the Farm Bureau Policy Committee, and the Rural Fire Department District 3. He was also an ASC Precinct Committeeman. John was an honest man with a lot of integrity. He had a big, compassionate heart and never hesitated to help others in need.
John was a loving husband, father and grandfather. His children and grandchildren have so many fond memories of him. He always made them feel special by asking, “How’s come you’re so precious?” or “How’s peaches?” Favorite treats that they often enjoyed with John include: “Grandpa’s Awful waffles,” “Grandpa’s cookies,” fruit “cottontail” and sweet corn freshly picked from his farm. He always had a joke to tell his family and friends, and the grandkids loved hearing him whistle like a meadowlark. If they ever got hurt, he would tell them, “It will get well before you get married!” Another piece of advice he would often tell them was to, “Be like the cottontail and hunker down until the storm blows over, then come up and assess.” Watching his grandchildren make the “Great Lakes” in the garden on the farm was one of his favorite past times.
John was preceded in death by his parents, John S. and Helena A. (Deyle) Burk; siblings, Irene E. (Burk) and Oscar McKain, Gertrude H. (Burk) and Vernor Winslow, Edward Burk at birth; Elmer C. Burk and wife Agnes, and Arthur F. Burk.
He is survived by his wife Virgina M. Burk; sons, Daniel J. Burk and wife Judi of Denver, Colorado; John C. Burk and wife Melanie of Jerome, Idaho; Allan G. Burk and wife Sonja of Knoxville, Tennessee; daughters, Diane M. Sis and husband Michael of rural Atwood; Joan C. Cahoj and husband William W. of rural Atwood; and Betty A. Taylor and husband David of Atlanta, Kansas; 18 grandchildren and 34 great-grandchildren.
A private family funeral service will be held May 15, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, in Atwood. Father Joseph Asirvatham will celebrate the funeral Mass. Memorials are suggested to the St. John Nepomucene Cemetery Fund, the McDonald Rural Fire Department, or the Salina Diocese Seminarian Fund in care of Baalmann Mortuary, PO Box 391, Colby, KS 67701. Online condolences may be sent to: www.baalmannmortuary.com.
Card of Thanks
Thank you to everyone who has expressed their love to us as we’ve mourned the loss of our husband, father, and grandfather. We have been touched by the cards, flowers, visits, kind words and prayers. We know John is looking down and smiling at all of us. – The John R. Burk family.