In Memory of Grandma Kuntz

Many of my childhood memories of Grandma and Grandpa take me back to their house in Huntington where our family would often gather for some of the most memorable dinners and of course Grandpa’s homemade Ice cream. My favorite memory, is the time that Grandma had me come and spend a week at their house, JUST me. I remember waking up every morning that week and stumbling into the kitchen to a huge smile from Grandma, and being carried along to my seat at the kitchen table by nothing more than the smell of coffee, and eggs and bacon. We would sit and talk, and then Grandpa and I would usually go out and do something like run errands, go fishing, or even head to the farm.

Grandma ALWAYS had a sparkle in her eye, and I can still hear her voice singing Amazing Grace above the rest of the congregation like an angel, it’s no wonder that is one my of my favorite hymns today. Her laughter traveled through a room lifting spirits as she would delight in watching her grandchildren and great grandchildren play and have fun.

As a young adult, three of my close friends and I came out for rodeo week and stayed in grandma’s basement. One night we stayed up till 2 or 3 in the morning laughing and having a grand time, and I was terrified that we were keeping grandma awake because we were laughing so hard. The next morning I apologized for being so noisy and asked if we kept her awake. She replied, “No, you didn’t keep me awake, I was sitting up here in my chair laughing with you…”

Grandma is one of my hero’s, not for anything specific that she did, but for who she was. A woman who was devoted to loving her husband, A mother that loved having her children around the table for a good night of cards and telling jokes and stories, and a grandmother that loved her grandchildren and great grandchildren and wanted them to know the Lord like she did.

Grandma has helped teach me the value of family and the importance of training up our children to know the Lord. We have been blessed to have such a wonderful woman in our lives and her memory will always be part of me. 

As I end, something Grandma used to say is bouncing around in my mind; As she and Grandpa would playfully argue about what happened, or what was said, grandma would say: “Well, I oughta know, I was there…” Grandma, just so you know, that tradition has carried on in our family…….. thank you for your love, thank you for your wisdom, and thank you for your Godly example.

With Love,

Chris John