Ila M. Burke, 85, died Monday, March 9, 2015.
Mass of Christian Burial was Monday morning, March 16 at St. Michael Catholic Church in Sioux Falls with the Rev. Chuck Cimpl officiating. Visitation with rosary was held Sunday afternoon at Miller West Funeral Chapel in Sioux Falls. Interment was in Black Hills National Cemetery, Sturgis.
Ila was born Dec. 1, 1929 to Heinerick “Hank” and Marcella (Kemptner) Knigge. She grew up on a farm near Woonsocket, one of nine children. She graduated from Woonsocket High School and attended nursing school in Mitchell. She became an RN and used her degree in many aspects of the medical field.
Ila married Richard “Rich” Joseph Burke Dec. 20, 1951, at St. Wilfrid Catholic Church in Woonsocket. Rich passed away Dec. 14, 1993.
She lived in South Dakota the majority of her life, in Pierre and Sioux Falls, before moving to Minnesota to be near her daughter.
Ila is survived by five children, Mary Jo Bertsch, Las Cruces, N.M., John (Nancy), Rapid City, Theresa (Brian) Burke-Geagan, Healdsburg, Calif., Patti (Pat) McAdaragh, Burnsville, Minn., and Rebecca (Bill) Kornitzer, Parkville, Mo.; seven grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; a brother, Charles (Myrna) Knigge, Woonsocket; a sister, Norma, Sioux Falls; and many nieces, nephews and friends.
She was preceded in death by siblings, Mavis Steichen, Raymond “Sonny”, Mary Kogel, Henry “Corky”, Paul and Wallace “Bob”.