Ethel L. Kunkel

OWATONNA — Ethel Lillian Kunkel, 91, a resident of Morehouse Place of Owatonna, died Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2012, at Homestead Hospice House.
She was born July 2, 1920, in Sonningdale, Saskatchewan, Canada, the daughter of Charles and Matilda (Brooks) Schultz. Before her marriage she worked at St. Gabriel’s Hospital in Little Falls, Minn. She also worked in Oswego and Oregon City, Ore. She married Ross H. Kunkel on June 1, 1939, at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Fort Ripley, Minn. She was a member of Zion Lutheran Church in Brainerd for 43 years. She and her husband, Ross, moved to Owatonna on Oct. 9, 1993, and have been a member of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church since that time.
Throughout the years, she worked at Lakeland Color Press and Bangs Printing. She was a 4-H leader, a bus driver, and a willing volunteer for various projects within the community and her church.
She is survived by her daughter, Beverly (and Roy) Collette, of Owatonna; her son, Larry (and Marla) Kunkel, of Owatonna; five grandsons, Dean (and Danette) Collette, of New Berlin, Ill., Bradley (and Amy) Collette, of Ashland, Mo., David (and Kylene) Collette, of Port Elizabeth, South Africa, Chay (and Roberta) Kunkel, of Duluth, Paul (and Nissa) Kunkel, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa; seven great-grandchildren, Ben, Amanda, Alex, Ross, Noah, Kali, Kaija and Katie; her sister, Edith Hoar, of Newberg, Ore.
She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Ross; one son, Robert; four brothers; and three sisters.
Visitation will be at Michaelson Funeral Home on Saturday from 3-5 p.m. and at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church on Sunday from 1-2 p.m. Funeral services will be held Sunday, Feb. 26, 2012, at 2 p.m. at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church with the Rev. Mark Rosenau officiating. Interment will be in the Evergreen Cemetery in Brainerd. In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to Good Shepherd Lutheran Church or Homestead Hospice House, Inc.
Michaelson Funeral Homes, Inc.
1930 Austin Road, P.O. Box 482,
Owatonna, MN 55060
(507) 451-7943