Anna Burke - the black sheep of the family

Picking up where I left off - the last grandparent on my dad's side that I haven't written about.  As you read in my blog about my grandpa's dad Nicholas, Anna had her problems.  That doesn't mean I shouldn't write about her - perhaps it's more reason to document what I know.

Anna Elizabeth Burke was born 22 May 1907 at White Cloud, Newaygo County Michigan.  I don't have her birth certificate but following the path of her parents I have no reason to believe she wasn't born there.  She was the 5th of 10 children born to Emil and Hilma (Stone) Burke.  She had the following siblings:

Ellen Irene 1900-1992 (married Charles Johnson), adopted son David Lee Johnson 1930-2018.
Jennie Johanna 1902-1985 (married Alfred DeLora), sons Jack, Kenneth and Roger (all deceased).
Elmer Evald 1903-1926 (died single of tuberculosis, which was a scourge of the Burke family).
Arnold Walfred 1905-1992 (married Evelyn Trimmier), son Arnold 1931-2001.
Arthur Wilhelm 1909-1933 (died single of tuberculosis).
Ruth Esther 1911-1999 (married Archie Maynard), 1 living son.  Remarried to George Warren.
Carl Emil 1914-1997 (married Helen Doppel), 4 sons and 1 daughter - 3 still living
Mildred Marie 1916-1987 (married Orvil Thomas), 2 sons and 1 daughter - 1 still living
Paul Edwin 1921-2016 (married Phyllis Stewart), 1 son and 1 daughter, both living.

I talked about the lack of photos of Anna and her 1st husband Nicholas or her son Jerry but in reality, there just haven't been that many pics of her found.  Most of the pics of her came from albums that her brother Paul had (that I assume came from his parents) when she was a little kid.

Anna Ruth and Arthur	Jennie, Art, Enar, Elmer and Anna Burke (l to r from aunt Sophia Burke notes)
Anna Arnold and Arthur	Carl Anna and Mildred with Emil and Hilma on porch
Anna and Mildred	Anna as a young adult

My grandpa had a couple of photos of Anna that appear to have come from his uncle Jim's photo albums.  In the blog about my great-grandpa's journal I wrote that there was a Florence Herrick.  There was also a Frances Vernon.  Anna had an apparently good friend Florence "Sue" Vernon.  I'm not sure if that is who is in these photos but it's a guess.

After her divorce from my great-grandpa, Anna found love again with Stanley Ratajczak, marrying 19 Aug 1939 at Wyoming, Kent County Michigan.  My grandpa never spoke of his stepdad and my grandma doesn't even recall ever meeting Stanley, which is odd since he and Anna were married 14 years before her death.

There are an amazing number of group photos of the Burke family and this is the only one Anna is in, and it's not a good one.

Left to Right    

Front Row:  Jack DeLora, Kenneth DeLora, Dave Johnson, Roger DeLora (very front)    Middle Row:  Mildred Thomas, unk, Hilma and Emil Burke, Ruth Warren, Anna Korstange (looking down)

Back Row:  Jennie DeLora, unk, Ellen Johnson, Phyllis    Very Back:  Orville Thomas, unk, Paul Burke.  This is the only picture of Anna where she's older than her early 20s. 

As you read in my blog about my great-grandpa, Anna had problems with alcohol.  My grandma only remembers seeing Anna a handful of times, the last time shortly after my dad was born.  She was drunk and was swinging the baby all over the room.  I don't know what fueled Anna's alcoholism.  To my knowledge none of the other Burke family members had issues with alcohol, but of course that's not something that's kept out in the open.  I have heard rumbles of sexual abuse.  Emil and his brother Herman came to Michigan from Finland to follow their mother's brother "uncle Charlie".  I met with a son of one of Anna's 1st cousins several years ago and he said his mother absolutely "hated that man".  It's not the 1st time I've heard rumblings that he may have been inappropriate with the girls in the family.  It's just a guess and I'll never know.  

I do know that Anna held a job, as my grandpa talked about her working at the Royce Rolls Ringer Company making mop buckets.  It would have been walking distance from the home she was living in when she passed away, 3016 Effie Place NE in Grand Rapids.  

I always figured that Anna's alcoholism is what killed her but upon ordering her death certificate I was surprised to learn that she died of lung cancer that had metastasized to the brain, ovary and adrenal glands.  She died in "Rural Grand Rapids Twp" after a 6 week stay in the "Kent Co. General Hospital" at the age of 46.  I've posted in a Facebook group about Grand Rapids history to try to figure out where the heck this hospital was and nobody seems to know.  I'm just surprised to find that it wasn't liver disease of some sort that killed her.  

Anna was laid to rest at Fairplains Cemetery in a grave that went unmarked for 51 years because nobody could agree what name should go on the stone.  I told my grandpa she should have a marker and suggested her maiden name.  He had one made and now her grave has been marked for the last 15 years.  When I visit the other relatives at this cemetery I always make it a point to stop and see Anna, as I know my grandpa would want that.  I don't believe Anna was some monster that should be shunned.  She obviously battled demons for the majority of her life and made some very poor choices that had a very negative impact on my grandfather.  My grandpa chose to not speak poorly of his mom, instead choosing to not say much of anything.  I believe my job as the family historian is to bring stories to life and make sure people aren't forgotten.  Anna shouldn't be forgotten.