Julia Anne Burke, longtime Newkirk resident, died Tuesday afternoon, Sept. 10, 2019 in Ponca City Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. She was 85.

The daughter of Commodore Leon Goddard and Stella Mae (Heaney) Goddard, Julia was born Dec. 20, 1933 in Newkirk. She grew up and received her education in Newkirk, graduating from Newkirk High School.

On March 10, 1952 Julia and Robert Lee Burke were married in Missouri. They made Newkirk their home base while he worked in the oil fields.

They lived in Bristow, Uncas, Jet, Byron, and Burlington before moving to Newkirk permanently. They remained in Newkirk the rest of their married life. Mr. Burke died March 23, 1974.

In 1979 Julia decided she wanted to go back to school. She attended Pioneer Technology Center in Ponca City for a year and then Northern Oklahoma College for a year studying nursing. She received her certification as a Licensed Practical Nurse and became employed at the hospital in Ponca City as a labor technician in obstetrics. Julia saw the name of the hospital change several times over the years. She retired from the hospital in 2001 and then began working at Medicalodge East at Arkansas City. She retired for the last time in 2005 after four years of service with the nursing home.

Julia was raised in the Church of Christ faith. While her husband was alive, they loved to go to dances. After his death her brother took her to dances. A voracious reader, she couldn’t get enough of books.

Julia is survived by her children, Marla and Adrian McBride of Newkirk, Bobbie and Mardeena Burke of Bartlesville, Ronald Burke of Blackwell, Michael and Annette Burke of Nardin and Teresa and Curt Scott of Newkirk; a sister and brother-in-law, Carolyn Sue and Leonard Ewing of Newkirk; 14 grandchildren; 24 great-grandchildren and one on the way; and seven great-great-grandchildren.

In addition to her husband Bob, Julia was preceded in death by an infant son, Robert Leon; her parents; and her siblings, Frances Leona Goddard, Merrell Leon Goddard, James Ashbury Goddard Eugene Douglas Goddard, Wanda Lu Spenser; one grandchild, Patricia Ann Burke; and a niece, Merletta Kay Jones.

Mrs. Burke will lie in state at the funeral home Friday from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 14 in the First Presbyterian Church of Newkirk with the Rev. Mark Southard officiating and assisted by the Rev. Charles Jennings, pastor of the Great Grace Family Worship Center of Arkansas City. Interment will follow in the Newkirk Cemetery. Miller-Stahl Funeral Service is in charge of arrangements.

Those serving as casket bearers will be Justin Burke, Brady Burke, Trenton Burke, Brandon Burke, Cordell Domney, and Payton Wendt. paid obituary