Burdette Walters

Burdette passed away on Monday, January 19, 2026 at the Grundy County Memorial Hospital. Funeral services will be 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, January 28, 2026, at St. Paul Lutheran Church in rural Wellsburg with burial in the church cemetery. Visitation will be on Tuesday from 4-6 p.m. at St. Paul Lutheran Church in rural Wellsburg. Funeral arrangements are under the guidance of the Sietsema Funeral Home in Ackley.

Burdette Elgin Walters was born on Saturday December 2, 1950, at 10:40 P.M. at Allen Memorial Hospital, Black Hawk Co. Waterloo, Iowa, the only son of Mary (Maria Kaiser) and Eilert Walters Jr. He was baptized in the Lutheran faith December 28, 1950, at the home of his parents, 2 ½ miles South of Buck Grove, as a member of St. Paul Lutheran Church, with his parents as sponsors, and he was held during the ceremony by his maternal grandmother, Bertha Christine (Olthoff) Kaiser. Burdette was raised on his grandfather Walters' farm 2 ½ miles South of Buck Grove, until March 18, 1960, when he moved with his parents to his mother's home place 2 ½ miles Northeast of Wellsburg, Iowa. On Sunday May 29, 1966, Burdette was confirmed at St. Paul's Lutheran Church rural Wellsburg. Burdette graduated from Wellsburg High School in May of 1969. In the fall of that year, he began his studies at Wartburg College, Waverly, Iowa, and in 1971 he completed a course at the Goethe Institute in Passau, Germany in foreign language, and on May 19, 1973, he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and German from Wartburg College.

From 1975–1977 Burdette taught World History and 8th Grade Reading at the Aplington High School along with serving as advisor for the YFU (Youth For Understanding). History was always a favorite of his, which led him to the joy of life found in collecting antiques, and especially Edison phonographs and other talking machines, along with anything of the Victorian era. Over the years he became known across this country, and around the world as a prominent collector and restorer of phonographs.

After retiring from teaching, he devoted his time to the care of his parents, and to the restoration of his prairie school home which he bought in 1973. He was able to have this home listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Burdette moved to town with his parents November 25, 1976, to their new home at 610 8th Street, Wellsburg, Iowa, where he remained for the rest of his life.

Along with being cemetery sexton for over 40 years, Burdette served on the church board of St. Paul's multiple times.

During his lifetime, he served on the board of The Parkersburg Historical Home, Parkersburg, Iowa, and the Grundy Co. Museum at Morrison, Iowa. A motion was made by him to organize the Wellsburg Historical Foundation, of Wellsburg, Iowa, of which he also served as the first president, and has since remained as a member of the board of directors for over 25 years.

Burdette was a member of the Buick Club of America, and for many years an avid member of the Michigan Antique Phonograph Society (MAPS), the Ostfriesian Genealogical Society, of George, Iowa, and the Upstallsboom Gesellschaft of Aurich Germany, and the Grundy Co. Genealogical Society. He also was internal vice president of the Jaycees when they were functioning in Wellsburg.

In 1978 he opened the Phaze III Disco Ltd. in Wellsburg, which remained in operation until he sold the building in 1980. In 2006 Burdette founded the Friesian House Museum, in Wellsburg, and entered in partnership therein with Bernd Hans-Dieter Wittneben of Braunschweig Germany. He made many trips back to Germany in search of items for the museum.

Burdette and L. J. Bolhuis ran the Friesian House Antiques at 605 East 4th Street in a home he owned from 2010–2011. On January 4, 2012, he gave that house to his godson Joerg Rochlitzer.

Burdette and Bernd opened Bernd's Pond shop in their garage, at their residence in Wellsburg, and in the Fall of 2012 Burdette bought the former grocery store on main street in Wellsburg, until it was sold in 2023.

Burdette is survived by his only beloved son, Johnathan Walters, his partner Bernd H. D. Wittneben, since November 18, 2002, and two godsons, Roman Anton Redig, baptized May 30, 1990, and Gerd Jörg Rochlitzer, baptized October 8, 2006, at St. Paul Lutheran Church, along with numerous cousins and friends.

The family would like to extend their heartfelt appreciation to Roger Redig; Roman Anton Redig and his wife, Shelby; Randy Hammond; and Larry Bolhuis for their kindness, support, and care.