Emma Pauline Juran was born February 10, 1919 at Burke, South Dakota, the youngest of twelve children of John and Lucy (Sykora) Matucha. She died October 1, 2009 at the Community Memorial Hospital in Burke, South Dakota at the age of 90 years.
Emma grew up on the family farm north of Burke and completed her elementary schooling at the Rembrandt School. She stayed on the farm to help her parents. She married Melvin Charles Juran on May 26, 1949 at the Baptist Church in Burke. To this union their son, Melvin Junior, was born.
Emma worked at Kallanders Market. She spent twenty-one years with the Burke Schools, first as a dishwasher, then as an assistant cook and later as the head cook. She really enjoyed the kids at school and making sure they had good meals.
Emma was a charter member of the VFW Auxiliary Post # 9950 of Burke. She spent many summers running the lunch stand at the baseball park. She and Melvin attended many local, district and state VFW events.
She enjoyed her family and friends. In earlier years she loved to have the neighborhood kids come to her house for fresh chocolate chip cookies, homemade long johns, caramel rolls and later Kit-Kat candy bars..
Emma was preceded in death by her parents, John and Lucy; her husband, Melvin C.; her sisters: Rose Schwab, Bessie Holub, Pauline Kirkpatrick and Antonia Dappen; her brothers: Joe, John, Paul, Louie, Sr. and Frank; and two infant sisters that died in Klipec, Czechoslovakia.
Emma is survived by her son, Mel (Charlene) Juran of Burke, SD; granddaughters: Megan Juran of Sioux Falls, SD and her fianc Cory Smith and Valerie Juran of Brookings, SD and her fianc Tyler Van Metre; her grandson, Brian of Burke, SD as well as many nieces, nephews and cousins.

Funeral services will be held on Monday, October 5, 2009 at 10:30 AM at Clausen Funeral Home in Burke. Burial will be in the Graceland Cemetery of Burke. Visitation will begin at 3:00 PM on Sunday, with a 5:00 PM prayer service, at the funeral home.