Huntley-based U.S. Postal Service mail carriers honor former Union man killed in Genoa

HUNTLEY – Huntley-based mail carriers delivered a special salute to a fallen colleague Thursday.

A fleet of mail carriers from the U.S. Postal Service Annex in Huntley drove to St. John's Lutheran Church in Union as part of the funeral procession for Jene Burno, who worked as a mail carrier for more than 15 years before he was killed last week.

“I think all we wanted to do was show our respect to him,” mail carrier Wendy Bryson said. “He was a very dedicated employee. He was a genuinely good person.”

Police found Burno dead May 14 in his home in the 31200 block of Madison Street in Genoa. DeKalb County Sheriff Roger Scott said Burno was stabbed to death in a domestic dispute with his wife, Kendra Burno, 43. Kendra Burno called police from a nearby home to report the incident, police said.

Jene Burno lived in Union until 1994 when he married Kendra Burno and they moved to Genoa. They had two sons.

The postal annex brimmed with shared stories of Burno as mail carriers gathered Thursday. Bryson, who worked with Jene Burno for 11 years, remembered him as a kind man who would go out of his way to help other people.

During his tenure as a mail carrier, Burno delivered mail to residents in Huntley’s Del Webb subdivision, Bryson said. Since his death, other carriers have taken his route.

“I know when some of the subs have been on his route people have been asking about him,” Bryson said. “They can’t believe it’s true.”

DeKalb County authorities earlier this week said they haven’t determined whether they will file criminal charges.

Kendra Burno had sought an order of protection against Jene Burno after he pleaded guilty to domestic battery against his brother in 2013. The order in part prohibited him from drinking within 24 hours of having contact with his family.

Scott has said there were signs that alcohol was involved in the incident May 14.

• Daily Chronicle reporter Brittany Keeperman contributed to this report.