Duane Dean Burke

Duane Dean Burke…

DUANE DEAN BURKE was born on June 3, 1954 to Orval and Lillie Nora (Gelderman) Burke in Pipestone, Minnesota. While growing up, he spent a lot of his childhood staying with his Grandma Ruby, and eventually living on her farm near Ward, South Dakota. He was baptized in Elkton, South Dakota and confirmed in Pipestone. He attended school in Pipestone and graduated in 1972 from Pipestone High School. Upon completion of his education, he pursued a degree in meat cutting from Minnesota West in Pipestone. His meat cutting skill took him to Arlington, South Dakota for his job. Embedded in his blood and filling his life’s dream of farming, it called him back home. He met and married Jeanne (Jenean) Nissen from Elkton on June 27, 1981. To this union, two daughters were born, Amy Jean and Ashley Jo. He continued farming until the agriculture business was in a crisis in the 1980’s. He then went to work at Bayliner Marine in Pipestone. Working there and with farming still in his blood, seven years later he then began farming and milking cows. After getting out of milking, he had stock cows and ran a farrow to finish hog operation. On March 12, 2004, Duane was feeding cattle that morning and was caught in the feed wagon. By God’s grace, he miraculously survived, but the accident left him disabled. Two years later, Duane was diagnosed with kidney cancer. Doctors removed his right kidney, only to find out a year later it had metastasized to his bone. He received chemo and radiation for bone cancer. Amazing his doctors with his will to live, only to find out in the fall of 2013, he had bladder cancer. Refusing to give up, he proceeded with chemo again. Duane put up a hard fight after all he had been through. In March of 2015, Duane had made the decision to quit his chemo regimen as chemo was no longer responding to his tumor in his bladder. On April 5, 2015, he decided to do home hospice and fought a long courageous battle. He was called home to the safe and loving arms of our Lord and Savior on Tuesday, September 8, 2015 at the age of 61 years, three months and five days.

Duane was a member of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Pipestone. He enjoyed fishing, hunting, going to stock car races and tractor pulls. His last fishing trip was on Lake Benton with Donny, Ron and LeRoy. They didn’t catch any fish, but thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it! He adored his time with his two little granddaughters, Ava Jo and Breely Kay.

He is lovingly remembered by his wife, Jeanne (Jenean) Burke of Pipestone, Minnesota; two daughters, Amy (Shane) Hammer of Dell Rapids, South Dakota and Ashley (Mike) Jasper of Pipestone; one step-grandson, Rowden Hammer; and two granddaughters, Ava and Breely Jasper; and one brother, Gary. He is preceded in death by his parents; maternal and paternal grandparents; and his father-in-law, Vernon Nissen.