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Passed peacefully on October 3, 2012. Born in Farchant, Germany on September 4, 1928 and raised in Garmisch-Partenkirchen in the beautiful Bavarian Alps, Kuni's life encompassed an eventful period in history. She was a young child during the turbulence of the Depression and the Weimar Republic. When she was eight years old her hometown hosted the Winter Olympics. As a teenager she experienced the turmoil of World War II. During the post-war period, the club at which she worked in Oberammergau was frequented by some of the significant Allied military leaders of that period including Dwight Eisenhower. It was there that she fell in love with and married, John, an officer in the U.S. Army. Transferred to Berlin, their second child was only three months when the Eastern Bloc surrounded the city and the Berlin Wall went up in August, 1961. Like so many foreign brides of American servicemen after the war, moving to a foreign country, mastering the language and becoming comfortable with new customs and manners while raising a young family were the challenges Kuni faced when they rotated back to the States. On John's retirement from the military, they bought a house that was a source of pride and security after the deprivation and uncertainty of childhoods in depression and war. Her gardens, vibrant with beautiful flowers lovingly tended, were the hallmark of the home she built and one of her greatest pleasures. A wonderful cook, the guests she loved to host could look forward to German specialties. Above all, Kuni had an appreciation for simple things: fresh produce from the garden, a brand new dress for a dinner out, the lives and goings on of her children and grandchildren and the gentle kindness extended. Kuni, along with husband John and son Paul who passed before her, lives on in the memories of daughter, Mary, her husband Terry and daughter Courtney, son Frank and his wife Stephanie, and son John, his wife Aleece, and children James, Krystina and Michael. The family expresses its gratitude and appreciation to the staff at Spring Lake Village and Dr. Tim Gieseke for the kind and compassionate care they provided Kuni. Family and friends are invited to Calvary Catholic Cemetery (2930 Bennett Valley Road, Santa Rosa, CA.) on Saturday, October 13, 2012 for a funeral liturgy in Madelyne's Chapel beginning at 10:30 a.m. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to
. Family assisted by LAFFERTY & SMITH COLONIAL CHAPEL, Santa Rosa 707-539-2921.
Published in the Press Democrat from October 10 to October 13, 2012
