Gerlof Bunk

GERLOF BUNK
LANSING - Gerlof "Slim" Bunk was born on April 14, 1913 and died on August 1, 2008. He was the son of Derk and Susan Katuin Bunk. Slim was born in Fairbanks, Louisiana. He grew up in New Lisbon, Wisconsin and moved with his family to a farm in Lansing, New York when he was 16 years old.
Over his life, Slim had many jobs. He worked on his family farm in Lansing, and he once owned a farm in Genoa, New York. In 1944, Slim purchased a milk route, and for many years he delivered cans of milk from farms in Lansing to the processing plant in Ithaca. He spent one winter in Toledo, Ohio cleaning hulls of cargo ships. For many years, Slim was a union carpenter. He worked on crews that built the locks on the St. Lawrence Seaway, erected the towers at Ithaca College, and constructed the library in Cortland.
Slim enjoyed gardening. His acre of vegetables produced potatoes, beans, peas, and tomatoes that Slim readily shared with his many friends and neighbors. Slim was an avid hunter and woodsman. He spent hours in his woods, cutting firewood and preparing trails for hunting season.
Slim could build or fix anything. He helped neighbors repair equipment, stop leaky faucets, and construct barns. His generosity and support enabled others to start businesses and buy or improve their homes. Slim's hard work and unwavering care for his friends and family will be remembered by all who knew him.
Slim was predeceased by his parents; his wife, June Harris Bunk; his daughter, Patricia Bunk; his brothers, Dick, Abe, and Albert Bunk; and his sister, Pauline Henry. He is survived by his grandson, Paul Lockwood; and stepchildren, Ellen (Glenn) Carlson, Kenneth Glanister, and Donna (Roy) Collins. He is also survived by cousins, Henry VandeVelde and Pauline Sasso; nieces, Susan Lowry and Helen Howell; and sister-in-law, Lois Parente.
Calling hours for Slim will be at Wagner Funeral Home on Thursday, August 7 from 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Services at Wagner Funeral Home will start at 1:00 p.m. on August 7 and be followed by interment at Lansingville Cemetery in Lansing, New York. www.ecwagnerfuneralhome.com