Betty Kunze

Betty Lou (Jenkins) Kunze was born December 11, 1931, the daughter of Earl and Lela (Fish) Jenkins in Cass County, Iowa, and passed away Friday, August 25, 2017, at the Griswold Care Center in Griswold, Iowa.

Except for a few years in Audubon County, Betty lived in Cass County her entire life. She graduated from Lewis High School in 1949.

On May 20, 1949, she married Ross Eldon Kunze in Tabor, Iowa. The couple farmed near Lewis for 17 years. They then moved to Atlantic where Betty worked in retail sales at Grahams and Spurgeons. After Ross’ retirement they lived in Audubon.

Betty lived for God and served the church faithfully. She was a loving and dedicated wife, mother and grandmother. She loved southwest Iowa and never tired of driving through the countryside with Ross and seeing the land. She was a farmer’s wife at heart.

Betty was a member of the Lewis Church of Christ, the Atlantic First Church of Christ and the Audubon Church of Christ. Betty and her family were one of the charter families of the First Church of Christ in Atlantic.

Preceding Betty in death were her husband, Ross Kunze; her son, Kevin Kunze; and her parents, Earl and Lela Jenkins.

She is survived by her sons, Kendal (Sheila) Kunze of Lewis, IA and Kent (Julie) Kunze of Urbandale, IA; her daughters, Kathy (Dan) Raper of Sutherland, IA and Karla (Scott) Handley of Johnstown, CO; her grandchildren, David (Brandy) Rapper of Wakefield, NE, Karen (Dan) Spray of Norfolk, NE, Katie (Mark) Drzycimski of Sioux Falls, SD, Rachael (Keith) Siemonsma of Plattsmouth, NE, Zachary (Wendy) Kunze of Bozeman, MT, Cybil (Dave) Kallestad of Belgrade, MT, Casey (Allen) Bennett of Big Timber, MT, Jodi (Chris) Eakin of Omaha, NE, Elizabeth Wyman of Atlantic, IA, Jared Kunze of Waukee, IA, Josie Kunze of Booneville, IA, and Jacki and Jonah Kunze of Urbandale, IA, Michael Handley of Cincinnati, OH and Kyle Handley of Ft. Collins, CO; 36 great-grandchildren; and numerous other relatives and friends.

Visitation with family will be from 9:30 – 10:15 a.m. before the service and again at the lunch in the church following the committal service, all on Thursday, August 31, 2017, at the First Church of Christ in Atlantic, Iowa.

The funeral service will be held at 10:30 a.m., Thursday, August 31, 2017, at the First Church of Christ in Atlantic, Iowa.

Burial will be in the Oakwood Cemetery in Lewis, Iowa.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the First Church of Christ in Atlantic.