JoAnn Elizabeth Burke, 79, of Horton, Kansas, passed away on August 30, 2011 at the Hiawatha Community Hospital. She was born in Atchison County on November 19, 1931 the daughter of Joseph and Julia Thrift Zeit. She attended Mount St. Scholastica and then graduated from Huron High School. JoAnn attended the Licensed Practical Nursing program at Atchison Vo-Tech in 1968. She was the president of her nursing class and graduated at the top of her class. On June 25, 1952 she married Elwood Burke at the St. Mary's Catholic in Purcell, Kansas. They made their home in Council Bluffs, Iowa before returning to the family farm in Purcell, Kansas. In 1980 they moved to Horton, Kansas. JoAnn worked as a LPN at the Atchison Hospital and the Horton Community Hospital from which she retired. She is survived by her husband, Elwood Burke of the home; daughters, Pam (Dave) Norman of Horton, Kansas, Tina (Jerry) Helmstetter of Denton, Kansas, Barb Slocum of Circleville, Kansas and a son, Darrell Burke (Eric Wittgen) of Atlanta, Georgia; brothers, Gary (Kay) Zeit of Wheaton, Kansas and David (Nita) Zeit of Fairview, Kansas; sister in law, Janice Zeit of Denton, Kansas; grandchildren, Megan George, Travis George, Dana George, Noah & Talea Smith, Melissa Helmstetter, Aaron Helmstetter, Morgan Helmstetter, Jordan Monson, Burke Slocum and Lane Slocum; great grandchildren, Kaitlyne Chadd, Brenner Lowe, Jerick Lowe, Matthias Ramey and Jessalynn Smith. JoAnn was preceded in death by her parents, brother, Dick Zeit and son-in-law, Kenny Slocum. Funeral services will be at 10:00 A.M. on Friday, September 2, 2011 at the Dishon-Maple-Chaney Mortuary in Horton, Kansas where the family will greet friends on Thursday evening from 6:30 to 8:30 P.M. Burial will be at the St. Benedict's Cemetery in Bendena, Kansas. Memorials may be sent to the American Heart Association in care of the mortuary. A special message may be sent to the family at www.dishon-maple-chaney.com