Francis Marion “Frank” Burke (1855-1918)

Francis Marion “Frank” Burke

Birth

17 Nov 1855

Millhousen, Decatur County, Indiana, USA

Death

May 1918 (aged 62)

Fort Sill, Comanche County, Oklahoma, USA

Burial

Burial Details Unknown Add to Map

Memorial ID

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Son of Gibson Burke and Sarah Ann Deweese; husband of Jeanette M. Larason.

Last known location information on him is from December 1908 Wichita newspaper stories involving him falling into a ditch near the Wichita Post Office. He is not with his wife, daughters or son in the 1910 census. The family did seek information on him in November 1915 when they ran a classified ad in the Wichita newspapers looking for his whereabouts. Family story has him dying in Oklahoma in 1918; but no Oklahoma death certificate has been found.

Frank Burke lost part of his left arm in an accident in 1895...
Lincoln (Nebraska) Evening News, Monday, July 30, 1894, pg. 5, column 2
“Frank Burk, a switchman in the employ of the Burlington had his left hand badly crushed Saturday evening while switching that it was necessary to amputate a portion of it.”

Lincoln (Nebraska) Evening News, Friday, May 31, 1895, pg. 1, column 2
“CHOPPED OFF HIS HAND. – Frightful Experience of Switchman Burke in Splitting Kindling. Frank Burke, a switchman who was formerly in the employ of the Burlington and who resides at 1209 U street, chopped his left arm off this morning in splitting kindling with broad ax. The accident occurred at about 9 o’clock at his home. Some weeks ago Burke had the fingers of his left hand crushed between the cars while switching in the Burlington yards, and as result of that accident he had to have all of the fingers on the hand amputated. This morning he was out in a shed at home holding a piece of wood with that hand while he attempted to cut off the end of it with a broad ax, but the weapon caught above his head by some means and when it came down it landed squarely across his wrist. The heavy blade sank through the arm, completely severing both bones, so that the hand hung by a mere shred of flesh on the wrist. Drs. Holyoke & Holyoke and Dr. Britt were called and found it necessary to complete the amputation so effectively begun. One of them thinks that Burke will pull through all right. Burke has a wife and family dependent upon him for support.”