Ella Buerkley, 94, of Kulm, ND, passed away April 12, 2022 at Prince of Peace Care Center, Ellendale, ND. Funeral services will be held Saturday, April 23, 2022 at 10:30 AM at First Congregational Church, Kulm. A prayer service will held Friday, April 22, 2022 at 7:30 PM at First Congregational Church. Burial will be held at the Kulm Congregational Cemetery. A livestream of Ella's funeral service will be available at www.dahlstromfuneralservice.com under her obituary.

Ella (Schock) Buerkley was born March 7, 1928 in McIntosh County to John and Christina (Martz) Schock. She was the fourth daughter of six sisters and two older brothers. She received her eighth grade education. Ella married Palmer L. Buerkley on December 8, 1946. To this union two children were born Cynthia Ann of Anderson, IN and Anthony Palmer of Kulm, ND. In the summer of 1966 Palmer and Ella moved to Fredonia, where Palmer managed the Fredonia Farmers Coop Elevator and Ella was a part time bookkeeper and distributor of Neo-Life Dietary Supplements. After Palmer retired in 1987 the couple moved back to Kulm. For many years Ella cut hair and gave permanents in her home.

Ella was a member of the First Congregational Church in Kulm, where she taught Sunday School and sang in the mixed and ladies choir. Ella and Palmer also sang duets together for many years. She was self-taught on the harmonica and played at churches and nursing homes around the area. Ella was a great gardener and was famous for her Ox Heart tomatoes. Palmer and Ella loved to travel and many times picked up hitch hikers, in fact on a trip to Medora they picked up the same hitch hiker three times. They were bold at sharing Jesus with the many people they came in contact with. Ella loved to tell jokes and stories and was known as the candy lady by many many children.

Ella is survived by her daughter, Cynthia (Jim) Campbell and their children, Tracy (Troy) Tipton, Sydney, Sawyer and Brandon, Heather Campbell, Nathan, Hannah and Harper, Jessica (Ryon) Reasen, Emma and Ava; son, Anthony and his children, Summer (Charles) Tweet, Autumn, Abe, Alex, Austin, Andrew (Ashley), William and Bennett, Sky (Jared) Nitschke, Kade, Symphony and Spring, Shannon (Landon) Krueger, Trey, Kaylee and Leah, Kacy (Travis) Vetter, Shane, Nate and Ty; sisters, Ruth Buerkley, Emma Klipfel and Violet Moncor; sisters-in-law, Vivian Heidinger and Marilyn Weiler; brother-in-law, Fred (Sophia) Buerkley and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents, husband Palmer, brothers Enoch and Rueben, sisters Esther and Ida, five sisters-in-law and ten brothers-in-law.