William Burke (1841-1919)

William Burke (1845-1919) Immigrant from Ireland to USA and Milk Dealer in Jersey City, New Jersey (b. circa March 19, 1845, County Sligo, Ireland - d. July 29, 1919, Philadelphia General Hospital, Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, USA)

Parents: Mary and John Burke (c1820-?).

Birth: William was born in 1845 in County Sligo, Ireland

Emigration: He emigrated to the United States on February 15, 1863 at age 18, to New York City.

Marriage: He married Margaret Kane (1846-1912) in 1868, most likely in Jersey City.

Children: Together they had at least two children: John Joseph Burke (1868-1939) who married Nora M. Finn (1866-1898) and after her death married Josephine Smith (1875-1962); and Mary Ellen Burke (1870-1957) who married Richard B. Patterson II (1869-1930). According to the 1900 US Census they only had two children and both were alive.

Naturalization: He was naturalized as a US citizen on October 27, 1874 in Jersey City and his certificate was handed down in the family and was last with his great-grandson, Vincent Gerard Norton (1923-2005) in Sarasota, Florida in 2005.

Milk Dealer: He operated a milk dealership from his home at 26 Atlantic Avenue in Jersey City, New Jersey.

Marriage of Son: Around 1889, his son, John married Nora M. Finn (1866-1898) and she gave birth to Mary Margaret Burke (1890-1949) aka May Burke. In 1898 Nora died of pneumonia and Mary was raised by Nora's sister, Catherine Elizabeth Finn (1863-1918) aka Kate Finn, who worked as a secretary at a pencil company. In 1899 John Burke then married Josephine Smith (1875-1962) and they had five children together. John had trouble earning enough money to support his children so the girls were raised by his sister, Mary Burke.

Daughter Adopts Children: Mary Ellen Burke (1870-1957) may also have adopted two children: Leona Veronica Patterson; and John Patterson.

Jersey City, New Jersey: The family was living at 26 Atlantic Avenue in Jersey City, New Jersey in 1900. John did not list an occupation.

Pennsylvania: By 1910 William Burke and his wife, Margaret, retired to Delaware County, Pennsylvania and lived with their daughter, Mary Ellen Burke, and her husband, Richard B. Patterson II.

Death of Wife: Margaret died on June 12, 1912 and William bought a cemetery plot in Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery in Yeadon, Pennsylvania. The deed was in the possession of Vincent Gerard Norton (1923-2005) in Florida as of 2005, and is now with his son Kenneth.

Death: William Burke died on July 29, 1919 at the Philadelphia General Hospital in Philadelphia. He died of Alzheimer's disease and his death certificate lists the cause of death as "exhaustion from senile dementia".

Burial: He was buried in Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery in Yeadon, Pennsylvania with: his wife, Margaret Kane; his daughter, Mary Ellen Burke; and Mary's husband, Richard B. Patterson II; and two of his granddaughters: Bertha M. Burke (1902-1971) and Josephine Veronica Burke (1907-1995). There are no markers for any of the graves.

Archive: The deed to his cemetery plot and his naturalization certificate were handed down in the family and were last with his second great-grandson, Kenneth Stephen Norton (1955- ) in Sarasota, Florida in 2007.