Kunkle, Ethel Marie (Minton)

Ethel Marie (Minton) Kunkle, 89, died at The Village at Legacy Pointe Nursing Facility, 1654 SE Holiday Crest Circle, Waukee, on Sept. 24, 2009, surrounded by family and friends.

Ethel was born on the home place near Fairbank, Iowa, on April 16, 1920. She was the fourth child of Leander E. and Ida (Kuhrke) Minton. She joined a brother, Lee, and sister, Neva. Another sister, Nina, died in infancy several years before Ethel's birth.

Ethel attended Triumph country school for grades K-8 and graduated from Fairbank High School in 1938. After high school, she completed a degree program at Dickinson Business School in Waterloo. She met Kyle F. “Bud” Kunkle after he returned home from serving in World War II. They married Dec. 23 1950, at Oelwein and farmed for most of their marriage in the Fayette area.

Ethel worked outside the home before it was customary. For several years after marriage, she continued working as a legal secretary for the O'Brien law firm in Oelwein. In the early 1960s, she became a teller for the State Bank of Fayette, retiring as head teller in 1985. Ethel lived independently until she moved to Legacy Pointe in February 2008. She was a longtime member of the Maynard Presbyterian Church.

Ethel was preceded in death by her parents; her husband on Sept. 18, 1991; her siblings; her nephew, Roland Strempke of Westgate; and Al Edaburn of Cedar Rapids, a good friend in her later years.

She is survived by her daughter, Jeanie Kunkle Vaudt (David) of West Des Moines; her niece, Yvonne M. Minton of West Des Moines; and several great-nieces and great-nephews.

Jamison-Schmitz Funeral Home in Oelwein is handling arrangements. Visitation will be at Hamilton's Funeral Home, 3601 Westown Pkwy., West Des Moines, on Saturday, Sept. 26, from 5 to 8 p.m. Additional details can be found at 

Oelwein visitation will be at Jamison-Schmitz Funeral Home, 221 North Frederick Ave., on Sunday, Sept. 27, from 5 to 8 p.m. The funeral service will be at the funeral home at 1 p.m. Monday, Sept. 28, with the Rev. John Kerr officiating. Burial will follow at Woodlawn Cemetery in Oelwein. Online obituary at

The family wishes to thank the very compassionate nursing staffs at Legacy Pointe, Mercy Hospital in Des Moines and Iowa Hospice for their constant and loving care of Ethel during the last year and a half of her life. Special thanks go to Jody and Elizabeth, Ethel's day nurses at Legacy Pointe, who are exceptional caregivers and exceptional individuals.

Memorial contributions in Ethel's name may be made to Iowa Hospice, 5650 NW Johnston Dr., Johnston, IA 50131, or Animal Rescue League of Iowa, 5452 NE 22nd St., Des Moines, IA 50265.