Emil A. Berke Biography


	This biography appears on pages 976-977 in "History of Dakota 
	Territory" by George W. Kingsbury, Vol. IV (1915) and was 
	scanned, OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net.

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				EMIL A. BERKE. 

	Emil A. Berke, a well known and able attorney practicing at 
Elkton, has attained a position which many an older member of the bar 
might well envy. His birth occurred September 21, 1886, upon a farm in 
Deuel county, South Dakota, and he comes of Scandinavian parentage and 
ancestry. He was but a few years old when the family removed to Clark 
county and there he began his education in the district schools, while 
later he attended the high school at Bradley, South Dakota. He was 
ambitious to secure a good education that would fit him for life's 
practical and responsible duties and when fifteen years of age he went 
to Madison, where for four years he was a student in the State Normal 
School, where he came under the instruction of General W. E. H. Beadle. 

	After putting aside his textbooks Mr. Berke took up the 
profession of teaching, which he followed in Day county, and later he 
filed upon and proved up a claim northwest of Philip. He never 
abandoned his idea, however, of securing an education and preparing for 
the bar, and after securing his claim he matriculated in the university 
at Vermillion, South Dakota, where he entered upon a course of law and 
economics. Notwithstanding the fact that he entered late in the first 
semester of the school year, he very creditably passed all of his 
examinations. He has ever been a student and his tastes and habits 
along that line have gained him rank with the scholars of his part of 
the state. While a university student he manifested oratorical talent 
and ability of high order and at the same time he thoroughly mastered 
the work of the law course and qualified for later successes at the 
bar. During his college days he became a member of the Delta Theta Phi. 

	Following his graduation, at which time the Bachelor of Laws 
degree was conferred upon him, he formed a partnership for practice 
with Fred W. Cuckow and the firm had two offices, with Mr. Cuckow at 
the Brookings office and Mr. Berke in charge of the practice at Elkton. 
A liberal clientage was accorded the firm until 1914, when it was found 
necessary to dissolve the partnership on account of the illness of the 
senior partner. 

	During his university days Mr. Berke formed the acquaintance of 
Miss Lillian Marzian, a native of Kentucky, and the friendship which 
sprang up between them ripened into love, resulting in their marriage 
at Madison, South Dakota, in June, 1913. Theirs is an attractive home 
by reason of its warm-hearted hospitality and good cheer and is a 
favorite resort with their many friends at Elkton and through the 
surrounding country. Mr. Berke concentrates his energies upon his 
profession and his devotion to his clients, interests is proverbial, 
yet he never forgets that he owes a still higher allegiance to the 
majesty of the law.