IRVINGTON, Va. β Irma Burke has witnessed nearly 11 decades of history unfold, but some of her most cherished memories come from an era that vanished long ago β when steamboats carried passengers along the Rappahannock River.
This month, Burke turns 110 years old, making her a living link to the Northern Neck's maritime past that captivates history enthusiasts like Phillip Williams.
"It was you were up on the deck and getting all that nice fresh air coming through," Burke said. "Oh boy that was good. Oh boy!"
Williams, operations manager at Rappahannock Westminster Canterbury and a member of the Steamboat Era Museum in Irvington, treasures Burke's firsthand accounts.
"It really was a busy area back in those days," Williams said. "The steamboats were quite different. Captains had different whistles."
The steamboats stopped running in 1937, but Burke's memories remain vivid. She recalls trips to destinations like Whitestone Beach Hotel, describing the experience as pure joy.
"Oh, that was fun. It was good," Burke said.
A century of memories
Burke was born Sept. 25, 1915 β the same year Babe Ruth hit his first major league home run, the first cross-country phone call was made, and President Woodrow Wilson occupied the White House.
The White Stone native grew up on a family farm, where childhood meant helping make homemade ice cream and playing in the fields with her siblings.
"Oh, it was fun. All of us children out there in the fields running around and playing. We had a good time. Really good time," Burke said.
As an adult, Burke spent decades working at a bank in White Stone.
"I counted the money. That was fun. That was the fun part," Burke said.
Her daughter, Catharine Moore, said Burke exercised and volunteered at a nearby hospital well into her 90s.
"We are so fortunate. I am so fortunate that she is in the health that she is in," Moore said. "I meet people on the street or anywhere that know her and they say what an inspiration she is."
Still feisty at 110
Caregivers Paula Gill and Madelene Cutting attribute Burke's longevity to her spirited personality.
"She may be almost 110 but to have what she has mentally is outstanding," Cutting said.
"Very feisty. Yes, she is," Gill said. "We are very lucky and fortunate to have her in our lives."
Williams values Burke's stories as irreplaceable historical records.
"It just seemed like it was I could put myself in that era by listening to her stories," Williams said. "And I know that collecting those oral histories is really important because once people pass away, those stories go away. So if you can preserve it in a way that other people can share it and learn from it that's very important."
Despite reaching the remarkable milestone of 110, Burke maintains her characteristic spunk about her age.
"I don't know. I'm not that old. I'm not that old," Burke said. "You're older than I am!"
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