----Source: 1918 History of Clark County, Wisconsin

George Burke, 1853

GEORGE BURKE, banker and lawyer of Thorp, Wis., cashier of the Farmers Exchange Bank, was born in Kingston, Green Lake County, Wis., Oct 16, 1853. His father was John Burke, who was born at Cork, Ireland, in 1801, came to Wisconsin when a young man, and after a number of years spent in farming, died at Thorp in 1893. John married Ellen McCarty, who was born at Kingston, Canada, in 1844, and who died at Thorp in 1891. They had seven children-George, to whom this memoir particularly relates Mary, wife of T. S. Murphy, of Gilman, Wis. Edmund, now deceased Elizabeth, wife of John Roth, of Thorp, Ella, wife of W. E. Poppe, of Thorp Louisa, wife of E. L. Snyder, also of Thorp, and Pearl, who married Heagle, of Gilman, Wis. George Burke finished his schooling at Kingston, Wis., in 1872. He remained on his father's farm until April 1, 1882, at which time he came to Thorp. Here he first engaged in the hotel operating the Douglas House for ten or twelve years, and during this time he studied law, in the practice of which he has been engaged up to the present time. On the organization of the Farmers Exchange Bank, Sept. 15, 1913, he became its cashier, but soon after resigned that position to become postmaster of Thorp, being appointed by President Wilson. In 1915 he was again elected cashier of this bank and accepted the resigning as postmaster. He is also a stockholder and director in several local concerns, and is one of the prominent business men and citizen of Thorp. He has served several terms as village clerk and twenty years as a member of the school board, and is a member of the Modern Woodmen of America and Of the E. F. U. in Politics he is a Democrat.

Mr. Burke was married Nov. 21, 1888, to Altie Craig, who was born Dec. 25, 1870. She died June 9, 1916, having been the mother of six children--John, born Sept. 18, 1890 Margaret, now Mrs. Roy D. Piper, of Thorp Lucille, who is engaged in teaching Ruth, who is bookkeeper in the bank Dorothy and Bernice, who reside at home with their father.