- Date Of Birth: August 2, 1931
- Date Of Death: April 9, 2017
- State: Idaho
She was born in Idaho Falls, Idaho, on August 2, 1931 to Harry and Venna Thiel on their 4th wedding anniversary. She passes into internal peace on April 9, 2017. She grew up in the New Sweden area on a farm. It was there with strict German discipline and hard work that would affect her in a positive way the rest of her life. She attended the New Sweden Elementary, Holy Rosary Elementary and her sophomore year she attended St. Mary of the Wasatch, an all girl’s Catholic school in Salt Lake City, Utah. She graduated from Idaho Falls High School in 1949.
On November 12, 1949, she was united in marriage to her high school sweetheart, Victor Burke. Farming was what they knew best and would pursue the rest of their lives. They had five children, Timothy, Douglas, Barry, Venna and Sharla, whom they raised with strict discipline and hard work with satisfaction in a job well done. Joretta was one of many diligences; as a result she was self sufficient and out of necessity arose many talents. She enjoyed being a homemaker, wife and mother. She was an accomplished cook, a fine seamstress; and she sewed most of her own clothes and those of her children.
In 1985, Joretta received her first kidney transplant. In 1991, she received her second kidney transplant and then in 1995, she received her third kidney transplant. The donor program extended her life for over 30 years.
She is preceded in death by her husband, Victor, her son, Douglas Burke; her parents, Harry and Venna Thiel, her infant sister, Betty and her sister Sharann Bean.
She is survived by her children, Timothy (Becky) Burke of Carr CO, Barry (Raelene) Burke of Idaho Falls, Venna (Mike) Love of Boise and Sharla (Bill) Cox of Idaho Falls; 19 grandchildren, 15 great grandchildren and 3 great, great grandchildren; one brother, Louis (Joyce) Thiel of Idaho Falls, one sister, Pat (Gene) Bally of Flemington, NJ.
