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‘Remembering Burdell Gilleard’ display exhibited at Dover Museum
HENRY COUNTY HISTORICAL HIGHLIGHTS
Southeast Iowa Union offers audio versions of articles using Instaread. Some words may be mispronounced.
Football season brings to mind an outstanding 1937 New London team, coached by Harold Tackleson. Its nine seniors averaged 158 pounds. Outstanding in their game against Columbus Junction, Burdell (Oops) Gilleard scored seven touchdowns, with New London winning 45-0. Gilleard scored 137 points in five games and had a season total of 180 points; the high score for the Midwest and second in the nation.
Burdell’s mother, Mary, died in 1922 when he was only 4 years old; his father, William, three years later. The maternal Elkins grandparents took Burdell and his sister, Nadene into their home. Then grandpa, Frank Elkin, died leaving 70 year old grandma, Martha, to care for the youngsters. Following her death, Burdell lived alone.
Merle Jennings, a close friend, is quoted as saying, “Here is a boy who has not father or mother like the rest of us had when we were kids. No one to tell him to get up in the morning, to do this or that. He lives alone in a room, does some of his own cooking, gets to school on time, works at odd jobs to earn money, clean in his habits, every decision must be made alone.”
Burdell was an excellent high school athlete running track, playing basketball, baseball, and wrestling. But football was where he stood out. Every town’s coach during his high school career trained his entire team to “stop Gilleard.”
Early in high school because of his ability both in football and on the track, the students nicknamed him “Oops” after the well-known character in the comics of that time. The name went with him to the University of Iowa in 1938.
Though several schools were interested in Burdell, he chose the University of Iowa where he took liberal arts classes. In the summers, he was employed at the university to help earn tuition. New London ‘town fathers’ supported him as well.
In 1939, Burdell, a sophomore at halfback, was a member of Coach Anderson’s famous “Ironmen” team which received nationwide recognition.
On June 21, 1941 he entered the U.S. Infantry. Staff Sargent Burdell Gilleard was killed in action at Leyte, Philippine Islands in October of 1944. His body was later brought back and was buried at the National Cemetery in Keokuk.
