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April 7, 1979 - August 3, 1997 18 years
Elko and Carlin, Elko County, Nevada Beowawe, Eureka County, Nevada Battle Mountain, Lander County, Nevada
This page is dedicated to Donny Burke and his father. On the big curve just south of the railroad tracks in Beowawe, Nevada, there is a small white cross memorial to Donny Burke. It is on the east side of the road, down a little bank. If you are going any speed at all you may never see it. My dad pointed it out to me when we were in Beowawe on February 17, 2002. The writing on the cross says "Fondest Memories", "Donny Burke" and in smaller letters "Our Neighbor" and "Our Friend". I made a mental note to see what I could learn about Donny some day when I was at the archives section of the Northeastern Nevada Museum. Today was that day. The obituary printed in the Elko Free Press newspaper can be found below. Donald Wayne Burke II died at the age of 18 of injuries sustained in an automobile accident. I would assume at this location. He was born in Elko, and had just graduated from Battle Mountain High School in June. He was working at the Horseshoe Ranch for the summer in Beowawe. His mother and stepfather lived in Crescent Valley, about 15 mile, or so, south of Beowawe. When Donny was four years old, his father, also named Donald, died at the age of 26, just a few miles east of Beowawe, in Palisade Canyon. He was a passenger in a four-wheel-drive vehicle that was hit by a westbound train. Unknowingly, several years ago, I was near this spot, too. In a four-wheel-drive. I didn't add this page because it was necessarily interesting. I add it now because it is a part of the fabric that makes up northeastern Nevada. I add it to help remember Donny and his dad, our neighbor and friend. If you wish to add more ... let me know.
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Newspaper clippings were courtesy of the Northeastern Nevada Museum Additional Information: Northeastern Nevada Museum
Recent Photos by Dan Turner, 3/24/02
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