May 16, 1925 ~ Nov. 7, 2020
Nettie Faye (Burke) Modlin, a longtime member of the community, passed away Saturday, Nov. 7, 2020.
Nettie was born May 16, 1925, to Fred and Anna Burke, the 11th child in a family of 15 children. She grew up in the Piceance Creek area on the ranch that is still owned by the Burke family. Even though there were some times that were very hard she would always say what fun they had as a family on the creek. One of her favorite memories was when her mother made doll clothes out of the used flour sack so that Nettie and her sister could dress the baby pigs in the spring.
She graduated from Meeker High School in 1943. In 1944 she married Lon Modlin and moved to Rosalie, Nebraska. While in Nebraska, Lon and Nettie had three children and worked on the Modlin farm.
In 1954, they returned to Meeker with their family and remained in Meeker throughout their lives.
Nettie worked most of her life in the medical field and was very active in her community and her church. She loved to cook and back and most people young and old always enjoyed her spud-nut donuts on Halloween.
For the past five years she made her home at the Walbridge Wing where she took part in the wonderful activities that Jean Gianinetti, staff and many volunteers arranged.
Nettie is survived by two brothers: Pat Burke from Montrose, Colorado, and Dean Burke of Meeker; her children: Larry, Janet and Sherry, and their spouses, Becky, Dave and Tom. She so enjoyed her seven grandchildren and their spouse and her nine great-grandchildren that she was so blessed to see them all in the last year.
A celebration of Nettie’s life is planned for spring of 2021.
To express Nettie’s love for children and their education, the family is requesting, in lieu of flowers, donations to the Burke Scholarship at the Bank of the San Juans in Meeker be made in her memory.
