Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 22, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 January 1913 — Obituary of George W. Burk. [ARTICLE]

Obituary of George W. Burk.

George Williams Burk, born near Lafayette in Warren county, Ind., July 31st, 1833; died in Delphi, Ind., Jan. 19th, 1913, aged 79 years, 6 months and 18 days. Deceased was the eldest son of John Burk and Ellen (Phillips) Burk, and removed with his parents to Jasper county when 17 years of age. The family settled about three miles north of Rensselaer, Ind., on what was then known as the Given’s Hill, where both parents-soon after died. The young man being left alone without means, began the arduous struggle for a competence in a new country. Being both frugal and industrious he prospered; and on Feb. 19, 1857, he was married to Amanda Jane Kenton and together with high hopes,-strong hearts and willing hands, they began the building of a home on the virgin prairies of Jasper county. As a fruit of this union there were born six children, 2 boys and 4 girls, Sarah Ellen Nowels and Lily A Robinson, of Lamar, Colo., Eva A. Burk and Bessie Matthews, of Delphi, Ind., and George Manly Burk, of Walton, Ind., all of whom, together with the widow, survive to mourt his departure. John E. Burk, the eldest son, died near Greensburg, Kans., Sept. 27, 1901. There also survive him 10 grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren. The deceased, by his sterling integrity and moral worth, deserved well of the community in which he lived and as a recognition of these deserts he was elected a county commissioner of Jasper county in the fall of 1880, serving for three years. During his active life he always lived on the farm and was always one of the most progressive and successful farmers of the county. In June, 1900, having sold his farm, he moved to Lamar, Colo., where he continued to reside until a few months age, when he came to visit his daughter, Mrs. Wilbur Matthews, near this city. His health failing, the family took apartments in Delphi, where he lived when the end came. Mr. Burk never professed any religious faith, but strongly believed in the strictest morality and right living, and his whole career was a high example of a clean, honest and upright life.