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Margaret Burke, 99

Margaret Burke, 99, passed away peacefully in her home in Mesa, Arizona on the morning of March 18, 2017, surrounded by family.

Margaret was the youngest of 3 born to German descendants, Hattie and Rufus Denton in Omaha, Nebraska. She was close to her brother, LeRoy, and sister, Bernice, “Bea." She and Bea enjoyed a lifelong friendship that included daily conversations until Bea passed away only 3 years ago, also at the age of 99.

After high school, Margaret worked as an elevator operator at a Brandeis department store where she met her husband, Buck, after he heroically retrieved her purse from an unexpected thief. In the early years of their marriage, they lived in Omaha, worked in the retail industry, and had a daughter named Sally. In 1948, the family of 3 moved to Blair, Nebraska and opened Burke’s Fashions on Main Street and managed it for 28 years. They also owned KBHW Radio in Blair and were half owners of B&H Shoes with locations in Plattsmouth, Nebraska and Onawa, Iowa. Margaret was a successful entrepreneur and a full-time working mom, marking her a woman ahead of her time and an inspiration to many.

In 1976, they sold the store and retired. Known as “snowbirds,” they lived half the year in Mesa, Arizona, at the retirement and golf community, Fountain of the Sun, and the other half in Blair. They moved permanently to Mesa in 1991.

Margaret was preceded in death by her husband, Buck, in 1993.

Margaret’s interests included dance, violin, golf, fashion, traveling, and attending church with her friends. Her friends and family will remember her as graceful, kind, and generous.

She is survived by daughter, Sally Zavadil; grandson, Steven Zavadil; granddaughter, Stacey Zavadil Whitney; great-grandchildren, Finn and Chloe Whitney.

A celebration of her life was held on April 2, 2017, in Mesa, Arizona.

~~~ Obituary courtesy of the Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings on file in the Blair Public Library at Blair, Nebraska.~~~