BOONE, Iowa—Pastor Donald “Don” Burket, 69, passed away peacefully in the early morning of Sunday, April 30, 2023, at his home in Boone, Iowa.
A memorial service will be held at 11:00 A.M. Thursday, May 4, 2023, at Schroeder-Reimers Memorial Chapel, at Sixth and Marshall Streets in Boone. The service will be livestreamed and can be viewed on Don’s Tribute Wall of his obituary on the Schroeder-Reimers Memorial Chapel website. There will be a time to greet the family at The Open Bible Church, 1224 Hancock Drive, Boone, immediately following the memorial service.
Don Burket was born in Des Moines, Iowa on October 24, 1953, as the oldest son to Janet “Jan” Smith Burket and William “Bill” Burket. Don grew up on his family’s farm in Minburn, Iowa, and went to Minburn High School where he graduated in 1972. He graduated from Simpson College with a BA in 1976, University of Denver School of Social Work in 1979 and from the Iliff School of Theology with a master’s in divinity in 1980. He married Patricia “Trish” Ann Hartman on March 16, 1980, in Denver, Colorado.
Don was known for his sense of humor, his love of bald eagles, and his strong Christian faith. He served as a minister for various United Methodist churches in Iowa for 31 years, and participated in several organizations, including Kiwanis, Lions, and the United Methodist Church Disabilities Commission. He also worked with the Red Cross Disaster Relief with his wife, Trish.
In his spare time, he enjoyed watching his favorite TV shows, like NCIS, A-Team, M.A.S.H., Matlock, and Star Trek, of which he was a long-time fan and would often quote. When he wasn’t watching TV, he would do crossword puzzles, read daily devotionals or play Tri-ominos with Trish or Lexi.
Don often helped out on his family’s farms during the planting and harvesting seasons. Despite the tradition of farming in the Burket family, Don ultimately decided to become a minister. He was known in every church he served at to be a caring and devoted pastor.
He and Trish would record church services and deliver the recordings to members of the congregation who were unable to come to Sunday service because they were sick or in the hospital. He would also read scripture and pray with them. He was also known for playing the guitar, which he would sometimes use to accompany hymns during church services.
Don was preceded in death by his mother, Jan Burket and father, Bill Burket.
Don is survived by wife Trish Burket of Boone; daughters, Hope (Michael) Rand of Boone and Faith (Justin) Henson of Boone; granddaughters, Kyrie Miskell and Lexi and Rylie Rand; brothers, Greg (Barb) Burket of Minburn and Chuck Burket of Minburn; and a nephew and two nieces.
Memorials and donations may be given to the Alzheimer’s Association of the Minburn United Methodist Church or the Boone Open Bible Food Pantry.
Funeral arrangements are under the direction of the Schroeder-Reimers Memorial Chapel at Sixth and Marshall Streets in Boone. Online condolences may be left to Don’s family at www.schroedermemorialchapel.com.
