Florence Burkett

Florence Burkett passed away Friday, October 2, 2015 at the Winterset Care Center South. She was 97. A visitation will be held 2 to 4 p.m., Sunday, October 4, at Ochiltree Funeral Service, where family will be present during these times. Services will be private with burial in the Peru Cemetery. Memorials may be made to the Activity Fund at the Winterset Care Center South and online condolences may be left for the family at ochiltree.com. Florence Evelyn Hendricks was born September 10, 1918 on a farm near Pulaski, Iowa to H. F. and Flora (Hargrove) Hendricks. Her childhood was spent in Davis County and she graduated from Cantril High School in 1936. Her marriage to her childhood sweetheart, Charles W. Burkett, took place on September 22, 1937 at Bloomfield, Iowa and to this union four children were born. During her working years she raised her family and was a devoted farmwife, milking cows, selling cream in town, gardening, canning and cooking many wonderful meals for her family. She also worked outside the home as a waitress at the Northside Café and later at Montross’ Soda Fountain and Restaurant, where she waitressed and was a cook for 26 years. Her family recalls how she loved to host her family to Sunday meals, even after cooking all week for her job, she found great joy in having her family at her table to eat the amazing food she so lovingly prepared. When the movie Cold Turkey was filmed in Winterset, Florence made pies for the film crew and actors, Bob Newhart and Dick Van Dyke. Florence and her family lived in West Des Moines, Des Moines, and Norwalk before moving to Winterset in 1958 and later to a farm west of Peru. She enjoyed crocheting and made everyone in her family beautiful doilies. She also played the piano since childhood and continued to her whole life even when she was a resident in the Winterset Care Center South. All this said, she was loving wife, mother and grandmother who loved nothing more than spending time with family. She is survived by her children, Clarence (Pat) Burkett of Apache Junction, AZ; Dean (Christine) Burkett of Earlham; Janet (Larry) Parker of Winterset; Joe Burkett of Conroe, TX; ten grandchildren, ten great grandchildren, six great great grandchildren, extended family and a host of friends. She was preceded in death by her parents; husband in 1982; a daughter-in-law, Barbara Burkett; a sister, Edith (Jess) Hull and two brothers, Lawrence Hendricks and Francis (Estel) Hendricks.