Hometown News and Views

By Phyllis J. Neuberger
Pelican staff
As her beloved husband of 45 years slips into the unknown world of Alzheimer’s disease, Anna Mae Burke set aside her own book in progress to make sure her husband Bob’s, memories of  growing up in Bayfield, WI and Ovid, MI, are not lost.  
An author of 16 books of her own, Burke gathered Bob’s written descriptions of his boyhood in the 1930s and 40s into a collection which she proceeded to proof, edit and get published.
More than just a grandfather’s recollection, Bob’s life in a rural community is filled with humor and fascinating experiences for readers of all ages to enjoy.
Readers share Bob’s feeling of being turned into a butterball as he was dressed for the cold winters in Bayfield. Bundled until he couldn’t get up if he fell, he couldn’t even call for help because a woolen muffler was wrapped tightly around his mouth. 
Imagine what it was like to make ice cream from scratch and savor every teaspoon you were allowed to have.
Who would conceive of skiing on homemade skis on a hill created by a town? What was is like to ride in a Model T school bus that was freezing in the winter and boiling in the late spring? 
Bob hated being forced to help out in his stepfather’s mink farm because minks, though beautiful in fashion, are actually mean creatures and hard to handle.
Having World War II German prisoners, incarcerated just down the block in a stockade, made for endless speculation, stories and curiosity.
Many of the prisoners eventually volunteered to work on local farms, and Bob and his pals managed to communicate with them using hand signals.
“They were nice,” he recalls. “In fact we hated to see them leave when the war was over.”
Then there was his thrill at falling in love with a fourth grade girl. Using the Flint, MI airport as a playground is another experience shared with those who read one man’s memories of being a  small town boy.
Barely old enough to be accepted, Robert L. Burke served in the Air Force from 1955 to 1959. He continued on to earn his B.S. degree from Michigan State in 1964 and a doctorate in education from Harvard University in 1972.
He was an administrator at Chamberlain Junior College, Nova Southeastern University and Barry University from which he retired and is currently Professor emeritis. He is the author of seven technical books.
His book is available by calling 888-795-4274, ext. 7879 or order online at:
www.Xlibris .com, www.barnesandnoble.com, or www.amazon.com
About the author
Anna Mae Walsh Burke was born in New York City in 1938. She received her B.A. degree from Manhattanville College in 1960, her M.S. degree in1962 and her Ph.D degree from Fordham University with a major in Physics. In addition, she earned a Ed.S. degree from Nova Southeastern University in 1984 and J.D. degree in law in 1988. She taught at Newton College, Florida Atlantic University and Nova University before opening her own law practice in 1988.  She is the author of 14 technical books and several works of fiction. Both Anna Mae and Bob Burke are currently members of the Tuesday Morning Writers’ Group sponsored by the Doreen Gauthier Lighthouse Point Library. They have been married since 1968 and are the parents of two children and four grandchildren.