After graduating from school, I started secretarial courses in June 1970 at Aberdeen School of Commerce, graduating in May 1971.

June 26, 1971, I married Donald Burdick in Lemmon.  He was employed with Wolff's Plumbing and Heating and I worked for Johnson and Kelley.  We bought a little house at 106 Third Street.

In June of 1974 we moved to Spearfish, SD where I continue to live.  Wolff's had several plumbing jobs in the area and it was easier for us to live in Spearfish than travel back and forth to Lemmon.  Our daughter, Teri, was born July 8, 1974.  We lived in a mobile home for 3 years, I remained a stay-at home mom.

In 1976, I returned to work for attorneys in Belle Fourche (only 11 miles from Spearfish) as we were planning to build a house.  Started construction on our house March, 1977 and moved in Labor Day weekend that year.  Our son, Adam, was born June 9, 1977 and two weeks later he was diagnosed with a seizure disorder of unknown origin. 

 The rest of 1977 was a blur to me as I spent many hours traveling back and forth to Denver to consult with doctors there.  In May of 1978 they advised that we place Adam in an institution and that he would never progress beyond a 2 month old.  We chose, instead, to bring him home and raise him.  He lived to almost his 13th birthday, when his body just gave out.

We were foster parents for the State from 1978 until 1983 when we enrolled in the Casey Family Program, which is a private foster care program.  In April 1983, a 13 year old girl was placed in our home.  We adopted her, and thus Sheryl became the oldest child in our family, being 4 years older than Teri.  You can imagine the struggles that went on between those two girls that first summer, but today, they are sisters as well as best friends.

Sheryl graduated Spearfish High School and after trying many majors, settled on architecture.  She is an architect in Rapid City, is married to Chad Coley, who teaches at Douglas High School, coaches at the school and in the summer coaches for Post 22 split squad baseball.  They have two children (the best in the world according to this grandma), Adam age 4 and Erica age 6 months.

When Don turned 60, I gave him a cowboy and Indian surprise birthday party.  This is me dressed up as a barmaid.  It really surprised him and we, our family and friends had a great time--I had squirt guns and some beer--so you can imagine how it ended up!!

Teri graduated Spearfish High School, attended SDSU in Brookings and is now settled in Sioux Falls, working at Bank First.  She has remained single at this point in time.  (I try to play matchmaker every once in a while and get put in my place.)

After Adam died, I returned to USD School of Nursing, graduating in 1993.  I worked 2 years at the Spearfish Hospital, then 11 years in Home Health traveling to patients' homes anywhere from Newell to Nemo and parts of Wyoming (just like a mailman, through sleet and snow etc, etc and some days traveling over 200 miles).  Don had been diagnosed with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia in 2000 and had to start chemotherapy in June 1976, so I left Home Health to work at a clinic in Spearfish 3 days a week so I could spend more time with Don.

In July 2006, we bought a manufactured home to downsize both in living area and in yard.  We moved into this home September 2006.  The house we built 30 years earlier sold on August 31 2007.  Don died August 17, 2007--so my life now has taken on a new role as widow (I absolutely hate that word).

I continue to work at the clinic 3 days a week, pursue my hobby of quilting, work in my yard, and even though I don't have a camper, still plan to continue camping this summer.  I also plan to do landscaping to my new home, get a deck built and  have many more projects on my list. 

My address is 1117 Crow Peak Lane, Spearfish, SD  57783.  Would love to hear from any of my former classmates.

I am really enjoying the web site and thank you Nette for brining us all together again after so many years.                   

 Pearl