Celebrating 40 years with Burke Properties!
Anne Fetherston (also known as Fether or Annie) just celebrated her 40th anniversary with the company. She shared a few of her memories with me and they were too good to keep to myself.
In January of 1976, John J. Burke Jr. came into Laacke and Joys in Mequon to buy a pair of ski boots. Annie waited on him and sold him a pair of boots and skis. John and she hit it off; he said he needed a secretary and asked her to come work for him in Glendale. Annie’s plans were to go to school to become a X-ray technician, but she took John up on his offer instead. The rest is history! Annie enjoyed working with John on his many ventures, time slipped away, and here we are celebrating her 40th anniversary with the company.
In between that time, following the Fetherston tradition, Annie was a paid on-call firefighter for Fox Point for over 15 years, state certified level II. When the North Shore communities decided to combine their fire departments, she became an auxiliary police officer for 12 years with Fox Point. This gal obviously likes to wear a uniform!
Throughout her time at Burke Properties, Annie has and does wear multiple hats. She dabbled in accounting, property management, condo sales, and assisted with construction of what is now known as Potawatomi Hotel and Casino. Other redevelopments consist of Mercy High School (all girls Catholic school), now converted to Burnham Hill Apartments, St. Nicholas (hospital) which is now a 100 unit apartment community, multiple phases of Point Elkhart Condominiums, and the Beer Baron’s Restaurant which was absorbed into the Milwaukee School of Engineering campus. In addition to those responsibilities, she helped John in managing the Midwest Center for Housing Management and has worked in Texas, Florida, Connecticut, and all throughout Wisconsin, at various Burke property locations.
Fun facts: Annie was the second Mom to the Burke children; she oversaw the 5 children for John and Murph all throughout their childhood. She will not tell us who the naughtiest child was/is! Annie is also an expert brat fryer, hosting an annual brat fry for the entire Westbrook Office Plaza, (old hotel converted to office space) which included over 60 businesses.
In her spare time, Annie enjoys hunting, water-skiing, snow skiing, snowmobiling, fishing with her family and riding her motorcycle on a nice sunny day.
A photograph of Anne, 5 years old, enjoyed spending time with her Grandfather, who was the Chief of the Milwaukee Medical Bureau for the Milwaukee Fire Department
Pictured from left: Greg Hermsen, Bob Fetherston, Anne Fetherston, Bennett Fetherston, Rob Fetherston and Michael Fetherston MD – All photographed are family members to Anne
Anne bare-footing off the boom on her 50th birthday in Lake Tomhawk
Pictures are Rob Fatherston, Anne Fetherston and Bob Fetherston during their time as Auxiliary Police Officers
Congrats Annie that’s a great legacy to have💗🙏🏻🎉
Annie…congrats! Not only do you have a ton of accomplishments that I never knew about you….but you are more FUN to be around than just about anybody I know..always smiling with that great twinkle in your eyes! CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR 40 YEARS WITH BURKE PROPERTIES! Ann Forrer
40 Years? Congratulations Annie! I have very fond memories of working for you and working for Burke Properties many years ago. So glad you’re still there, tell everyone “Hi” for me. When I think of you I always smile, here’s to 40 more years. Cheers!
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