116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Obituaries
The Gazette publishes obituaries on a daily basis. Use the search field above to search for obituaries by name or keyword. Readers can submit an obituary or submit a milestone to The Gazette. The obituary must be submitted before 1 p.m. for publication on thegazette.com at 6 p.m. and in the daily edition the next day, with the exception of obituaries for Sunday publication, which must be submitted by 1 p.m. on Fridays.
The Gazette offers audio versions of articles using Instaread. Some words may be mispronounced.
E.B. (Elsworth) Kunkle
E.B. (Elsworth) Kunkle
Cedar Rapids
E.B. (Elsworth) Kunkle, 86, of Cedar Rapids, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, July 30, 2025, in his home. E.B. was born on December 1, 1938, in Oelwein, Iowa, the son of Bradford and Clara Kunkle, and was raised on the family farm outside of Oelwein. He attended college at Iowa State University and graduated from the University of Iowa. E.B.’s lifetime hobbies included gardening, golf, reading, playing chess, and being a lifelong learner.
In his younger years, E.B. embraced his wild side and also served in the Army. All of that changed in early 1980 when E.B. was visiting his mother, Clara, at Grandview Nursing Home in Oelwein and met his soon-to-be wife, Margie (Aarhus) Kunkle. After a very short period of dating, E.B. and Margie tied the knot on November 22, 1980 and his life would forever be changed.
E.B. took on the role of stepfather to Margie’s four daughters (Dawn, Shelly, Carol, and Mindy) and became a part of a much larger, growing family with many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He was employed at Oelwein Community School District as a janitor. After retirement, E.B. and Margie enjoyed wintering in Arizona and alternated between Cedar Rapids and Postville to stay close to family.
E.B. is survived by his loving wife Margie Kunkle; their daughters, Dawn Luttrell of Postville, Iowa, and grandchildren (Lindsay Salinas, Alexandra Smith, Samantha Smith), Shelly Stratton (Bob Carstens) of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and grandchildren (Alissa Aarhus, Jacob Stratton, Lea Klein), Carol Miculinich (Darren Miculinch) of Clear Lake and grandchildren (Amanda Gilbreaith, Jordan Miculinich, Dalton Miculinich), and Mindy Seiffert (Ben Johnson) of Ely, Iowa, and grandchildren (Dylan Seiffert, Hunter Seiffert) and 11 great-grandchildren.
He is preceded in death by his parents; Bradford and Clara Kunkle and sons-in-law, Todd Seiffert and Michael Luttrell.
A Celebration of Life will be held on August 24, 2025 at 2 pm at Brosh Chapel and The Avacentre in Cedar Rapids located at 2121 Bowling Street SW. A luncheon will be held at the Villas at Stoney Point immediately following the Celebration of Life.
Memorials may be directed to the family.
Online condolences may be expressed to the family at www.broshchapel.com.
Daily Newsletters