Bertie Modelski

Bertie Modelski, 93, passed away November 13, 2021, at Emerald Nursing and Rehab in Columbus.

Mass of Christian Burial is 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, November 16, 2021, at St. Anthony Catholic Church. Visitation is Monday from 5-7 p.m., with a 7 p.m. Vigil Service at McKown Funeral Home. Visitation continues Tuesday morning from 9:30-10:30 a.m. at the church. Interment is in St. Bonaventure Cemetery in Columbus.

The Funeral Mass will be broadcast on the McKown Funeral Home Facebook page. You can access the Facebook page by clicking here .

Bertie Mae (or Bertie Mae not!) Burkink was born July 16, 1928, on a farm near Scribner, Nebraska, the second child and oldest daughter of Libertus and Odetta (Shultz) Burkink. She attended country schools in rural Dodge County before transferring to Scribner High School, graduating in 1946. After surviving a burst appendix at the age of 8, Bertie's younger years were spent helping out on the farm, attending many area dances, and working summers in Cheyenne, Wyoming, at her aunt Myrtle's café and motel, where she learned to cook and clean and make beds with hospital corners.

After high school, Bertie worked various odd jobs in and around Scribner before landing a spot at Consumers Public Power District. Fate stepped in the day a lineman transferred from the travelling construction crew to the Scribner office – John and Bertie Modelski were married February 7, 1952, and soon after moved to Columbus where they built their home on the south side of town and grew their family.

In 1968, Bertie began working evenings at Becton-Dickinson, and retired in 1986. She soon grew bored of retirement and began doing housekeeping and laundry at several local hotels – Super 8, Eco-Lux, and Victorian Inn. Bertie also enjoyed volunteering in the early years of Simon House. She finally gave up a regular paycheck at age 86, and in her twilight years read lots of novels, listened to the radio (she hated TV), went for daily walks around the neighborhood, and hosted Sunday morning Hens Club with her daughters and granddaughters.

Dad nicknamed mom a "Stubborn Dutchman" and she exemplified that strong will until the end – if Bertie put her mind to something, she finished it. Mom believed that you earned respect by hard work; she didn't buy excuses, especially from us kids. She never sat still for long, and ran a tight household in which everything was kept in its place – a bed wasn't really made unless it had hospital corners, and the kitchen floor was scrubbed by hand at least once a week. Bertie canned and froze everything that came out of dad's garden; refinished furniture; loved to paint and could paint a trimline faster and straighter than anybody; sewed – she made garments from scratch and could also mend, hem or fix just about anything (including a local judge's robe); could get any stain out of any type of fabric; baked bread and mastered all our favorites – yet for the life of her could not make an edible pie crust. Mom was not the most graceful and was a little accident prone – so much so that dad refused to install a garbage disposal in her kitchen; we're happy to report that she left this world with 10 fingers intact.

The family would especially like to thank the Dush, Bartholomew, Spitz and Behle households for the kindness always shown to our mom, and the other residents of our south side neighborhood for watching out for Bertie on her daily walks; to Nancy Fisher for being her guardian angel; and the caregivers at Columbus Hospital and Emerald for keeping mom comfortable following her fall.

Left behind to carry on Bertie's legacy:
Son Gary (Vickie) of Lincoln
Granddaughter Stacy (Jason) Sall of Lincoln; Grant, Greyson
Granddaughter Amy Jo (Ty) Rutsay of Lincoln; Jaden, Gavin, Koby
Grandson Marc (Kim) of Overland Park; Helen
Daughter Barb (Dale) Hoessel of Columbus
Granddaughter Andrea Hoessel of Columbus; Alec, Grace, Calla, Harper
Granddaughter Abigail (Kevin) Wilbur of Columbus; Irelyn
Daughter Joanie of Beatrice
Daughter Jan of Columbus
Brother Lee Jr. of West Point
Sister JoAnn Dahl of Scribner
Brother Jeff (Evonne) of Norfolk
Sister-in-law Kathleen Modelski of St. Edward
Many nieces and nephews

She was preceded in death by:
Parents Lee Sr. and Odetta
Husband John (June 17, 1999)
Sisters-in-law Teena Burkink; Minnie Richardson; Dorothy (Frank) Szatko; Helen (Walter) Sokol; Stella (Alva) Cruise
Brothers-in-law Elwood Dahl; Eddie (Esther) Modelski; Leo (Barb) Modelski; Mike, Virgil and Stanley Modelski