Grace M. Burkard

Grace Marie Burkard, age 97, passed away peacefully on Sunday, April 10, 2022. Grace was born November 28, 1924, in Merrill Wisconsin to Elmer and Elizabeth (Bruin) Berg. She graduated from Gillette High School in 1941. On June 18, 1949, she married Gerald Burkard at St. Francis Xavier Cathedral in Green Bay. They celebrated 70 years of marriage together. Grace worked as a telephone switchboard operator “number please.”  In 1947, Grace participated in the five weeklong national telephone strike and picketed with her fellow coworkers, they called themselves “Ma Bells”, carrying signs that read “we’ll walk day and night until Ma Bell is not so tight”. She formed deep friendships during this time and remained friends with her coworkers, getting together annually for over 60 years. After having their first daughter, Grace decided to be a stay-at-home mother. She loved to sew and make clothes for her three daughters. Grace also enjoyed singing, dancing, and doing crossword puzzles. She was also an avid coin and stamp collector and volunteered for the March of Dimes. When her children were young, she enjoyed camping, in her later years she loved spending time at their cottage and pontooning on High Falls Flowage.

Grace is survived by three daughters: Kathy (Deane) Brabender of Prairie Du Sac, Jeanine Stewart of Sturgeon Bay, and Bonnie (Tom) Zelzer of Dyckesville; five grandchildren: Clayton Brabender, Kelsey (Nik) Newgard, Stacy (Mat) Motquin, Curtis (Lisa) Stewart, and Christine (Cory) Lentz; nine great grandchildren: Landon, Matti, Mason, Breanna, Logan, Mackenzie, Parker, Lydia and Lyla; three great-great grandchildren:  Briella, Kai and Teagan; Sisters in law: Laverne Neperud, Lolly Burkard, Nancy Burkard, and Donna Willette.

Grace was preceded in death by her husband: Gerald; her siblings and their spouses: Lawrence Berg, Byron Berg, Maurice Berg, Rose Schaden, Lloyd Berg, Ivan Berg, Ruth Berg, and Jim Berg; brothers and sisters in law: Arnold (Margaret) Burkard, Clarence Burkard, Raymond (Mary) Burkard, Phillip Burkard, Fritz (Dorothy) Bostedt, Don Neperud, Jim (Mary Jean) Maricque, Tom Willette; son in law: Tom Stewart.

A Mass of Christian burial will occur on April 21, 2022, at 11:00 am at St. Jude Catholic Church, 1420 Division Street, with Fr. Tony De los Santos officiating. Relatives and friends may greet the family at St. Jude Catholic Church from 9:30 am until the time of service. Entombment will take place at Allouez Catholic Mausoleum.

Expressions of sympathy may be shared with Grace’s family on her tribute page at www.lyndahl.com

Special thanks to Heartland Hospice and the staff at Allouez Bishops Court.

The Lyndahl Funeral Home and Cremation Services is assisting the family with arrangements.

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