Mary Ellen Burke

Mary Ellen was born February 18, 1923, in Slaton, Texas. She lived with her family in West Texas where she graduated high school. She eventually moved to Fort Worth. She was employed at Armor-Swift Meat Packing Company where she met her loving husband John Thomas Burke. The couple married February 2, 1951, in Fort Worth. They had one daughter, Sally Anne Burke Beels. The family moved to San Antonio, Texas in 1958.

Mary Ellen attended and graduated from Durham Business College in San Antonio. She went to work for the Northside Independent School District and eventually became the Sr. Administrative Assistant to the Superintendent. She loved her job and co-workers and stayed until she retired in 1988. In June of 1986, after much research, Mary Ellen became a proud member of the Daughters of the American Revolution. She and John were devout Christians and were long time members of Zion Lutheran Church of Helotes.

After retirement, Mary Ellen and John enjoyed traveling to the beach and to the mountains of Colorado where they would spend their summers for several years. Later in life, Mary Ellen traveled with church friends to New York, Pennsylvania, Nova Scotia, and Great Britain, Alaska, the Caribbean, Costa Rica and the Panama Canal. But the thing she enjoyed the most in her later years was spending time with her daughter, son- in-law, grandchildren and friends. After a tough decision, she moved to the Austin area in 2011 to be closer to her family, where she also gained a whole new group of friends! But she always talked about her friends “back home”.

Mary Ellen was preceded in death by her father, Isom Edrew Madden and her mother Nannie Ina Sparks Madden, her brothers Paul and Tom Madden and her husband John Thomas Burke. She is survived by her daughter Sally Anne Burke Beels, her son-in-law Richard Thomas Beels, her grandchildren Nathan Beels and his wife Bonnie, Andrew Beels, Heather Beels and numerous nieces and nephews.

Mary Ellen was the epitome of a true lady. She was a wonderful and loving daughter, sister, wife, mom, mamaw, and friend. There are so many of us who have been blessed to have had her in our lives, and she will be missed greatly but will remain in our hearts forever. We love you so much...

Memorial Service – Saturday, January 10, 2026 at 11:00 AM at Bethany United Methodist Church – Cornerstone Building, 10010 Anderson Mill Rd., Austin, TX 78750.

Celebration of Life – Immediately following the memorial at the home of Rick and Sally Beels.