Verna Mae Bunkers

Verna Mae Bunkers, age 94, of Granville, IA, died Monday, July 29, 2019 at Happy Siesta Health Care Center in Remsen, IA. 

Mass of Christian burial will be 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 10, 2019 at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Granville, with the Father Daniel Greving officiating.  Burial will follow in the St. Joseph Cemetery in Granville.  Visitation with family present will be from 4-7p.m. at the church on Friday, there will be rosary and a vigil prayer service all at 5 p.m. at the church.  Visitation will resume Saturday one hour prior to the service at the church.   Services have been entrusted to Fisch Funeral Home & Monument in Remsen, Iowa.

Verna was born Oct. 8, 1924, on a farm near Granville, the daughter of Theodore and Frances (Kokenge) Klein.  Her childhood was spent on the Klein family farm near Granville.  She attended country school which was about 1/2 mile west of the farm.  She went to school through the 8th grade as her father said her help was needed on the farm.  

As a young woman she moved from the farm to Alton where she was a maid for the Murphy and Foreman families.  She met Tony Bunkers who was the postmaster at Granville and they were married June 14, 1949 at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Granville. Tony passed away in July 1978.  Verna was a lifelong Granville resident.  Her occupation was homemaker.  She also was employed at Spalding Schools serving students lunch.  

In 1981 she received her High School Diploma from Northwest Technical College and surprised her children at Christmas by giving them a copy of her diploma.  She was especially proud her 5 children were college graduates. 

Verna traveled throughout the U.S. to visit family and friends.  She spent over 20 winters in the Venture Out Retirement Community in Mesa, AZ.  One of the activities she took up at Venture Out was playing pool and she was a member of the Poolettes who traveled to other area retirement communities to play matches.  She especially enjoyed two international trips with her children Suzanne, Dale and Denny to meet cousins in Luxembourg and Germany.  

In October of 2015 Verna Moved into Bavarian Meadows Assisted Living in Remsen and then in May of 2016 to Happy Siesta Health Care Center in Remsen. 

She was a lifelong parishioner of St. Joseph Catholic Church.  She also was a member of the VFW Auxiliary, DAV Auxiliary, Christian Mothers and Catholic Order of Foresters. 

Survivors include her four children, Suzanne Bunkers of Mankato, MN, Linda Bunkers (Dan) Kennedy of Clear Lake, IA, Denny (Barb) Bunkers of Spokane, WA, Dan (Julie) Bunkers of Goodyear, AZ; 11 grandchildren; 18 great-grandchildren; one brother, Jim Klein of Granville; one sister, Clarice (Gerald) Roder of Remsen, IA; one sister-in-law, Jean Ballard of Carroll, IA; Arnie Streff from Alton, IA was a close friend following the death of Verna's husband and Arnie's wife.  

She was preceded in death by her husband, Tony; her parents; one son, Dale Bunkers; one sister, Lois (Gene) Wiltgen; three brothers, Marcel (Ann) Klein, Merlyn (Jeanne) (Jan) Klein and Thomas Klein; one sister-in-law, Angie Klein.

Casket bearers will be Dean Bunkers, Matt Kennedy, Dave Klein, Jeff Klein, Steve Klein, Tom Roder. 

Honorary bearers will be Kelly Bowman, Kim Brewer, Danny Bunkers Jr., Jennifer Castillo, Lisa Castillo, Megan Coyle, Rachel Katsuura, Ryan Kennedy, Lori Slaughter, Margerie St. John.