Services for Mary “Enid” Burkhart were held at 2 p.m. Tuesday, April 26 at the First Christian Church Disciples of Christ in Woodward. Visitation was held after 1 p.m. Monday, April 25, with family present from 6-8 p.m. at Hastings Funeral Home in Perry.
Pastor Nancy Prall of Granger provided words of comfort. Honorary bearers were Sharon Sterbis, Karen Woodworth, Lisa Jorgensen and Amber Springer. Casket bearers were Bryce Burkhart, Clifton Burkhart, Bret Burkhart, Tim Burkhart, Scott Burkhart, Erik Hinrichs, Chris Hinrichs and Dean Lyons. Organist was Elayne Bice.
Interment took place at the Woodward Cemetery in Woodward, Iowa. Following the service a luncheon was served at the church.
Mary Enid (Staker) Burkhart was born July 31, 1914, to C. W. (Webber) Staker and Mabel Chloe (Pierce) Staker at the family Home in Woodward, Iowa, and she passed away April 21, 2016, at the Rowley Masonic Home in Perry, Iowa.
When she was about 2 years old, the family moved to the family farm just outside of Woodward. Growing up, Enid was active in 4-H, Christian Endeavor and played the violin in the school orchestra.
Enid was always very active in her church. She was baptized in 1923 in the Woodward Christian Church. She was the fifth generation of her family to be a member of the Christian Church and held her membership for 93 years. During that time, she held almost every position in the church.
She started playing the piano for church when she was 15 years old and later played the organ and kept the position of organist until the late 1990s. She kept playing the organ at home until she was 100.
Enid graduated from Woodward High School in 1931 and went on to Iowa State Teachers College, now the University of Northern Iowa, where she received her teacher’s certificate. Later she finished her education at Drake University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in 1964.
Her first teaching position was in a nursery school in Woodward that was started through the WPA program. She continued teaching at East Peru, Iowa, until her marriage.
In 1936 Enid and Clifton Burkhart, her high school classmate, were united in marriage at the Little Brown Church in Nashua, Iowa. They set up their household on a farm north of Woodward and stayed on the farm until 1982 ,when they moved into Woodward. To this union were born four children, Roger, Dean, Judy and Jane.
Enid returned to teaching in 1959, while raising her family, this time at the Woodward Community School, and she retired from there in 1972.
Enid and Clifton enjoyed 55 1/2 years of marriage before his death in 1991. During their marriage they traveled to all 50 states plus Mexico and Canada. After retirement, they also enjoyed wintering in Texas.
Enid’s hobbies included crocheting, doing crafts and genealogy. She wrote for many years a column called “Does Anyone Remember?” for the Woodward newspaper. A collection of her columns was put into a book and later published.
Enid leaves to mourn her four children and their spouses: Roger (Nancy) Burkhart of Gaithersburg, Md., Dean (Karen) Burkhart of Springfield, Ore., Judy (Robert) Hinrichs of Palatine, Ill., and Jane (Fred) Morrison of Woodward; grandchildren, Bryce Burkhart, Sharon (Mike) Sterbis, Karen (Klay) Woodworth, Clifton (Kim) Burkhart, Bret (Kelly) Burkhart, Tim (Dana) Burkhart, Scott (Amy) Burkhart, Erik (Leigh) Hinrichs, Chris (Katie) Hinrichs, Dean (Lora) Lyons, Lisa (Dave) Jorgensen and Amber Springer; 23 great-grandchildren, two great- great-grandchildren, and one great-great-great-grandchild to be born in June; other relatives; and many friends.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Clifton, in 1991; and her brother, Ralph Staker, and his wife, Gwen.
