Shirley E. Kunstle

1930 - 2020

Shirley E. Kunstle

Gettysburg - Shirley E. Kunstle, 89, of Gettysburg, passed away Tuesday, June 2, 2020 at the Avera Gettysburg Hospital.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m., Friday, June 5, 2020 at Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Gettysburg, with Pastor David Otten presiding. Visitation will be from 5:00 - 7:00 p.m., Thursday, June 4, 2020 at Luce Funeral Home, Gettysburg.

Shirley Eloise Hult was born November 25, 1930 at home in rural southeastern Potter County. Shirley attended Copp country school through the eighth grade. Shirley was a cheerleader and graduated from Gettysburg High School in 1949.

On June 26, 1949 Shirley was united in marriage to Donald Kunstle in Gettysburg. Together they had four children. Shirley's life was centered around her family. She loved her husband, children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren deeply. She was energetic, kind, loving and fun. Shirley loved to cook and bake. She hosted many dinner parties for her family and friends and baked countless cookies, cakes and loaves of bread for her family. Shirley also loved to garden, canning or freezing all the excess vegetables and fruit for her family. At one time she had three large gardens. Shirley also loved to sew, crochet, quilt and tat. She created living legacies for each of her family members with the tatting, knitting, quilting and crocheting projects she did for them. Her family will remember her with love each time they wrap up in an afghan or quilt or stand in awe admiring one of her tatting masterpieces.

Shirley and Don spent most of their winters in the McAllen, Texas area where they enjoyed not only the warm weather but the many friends they met and spent time with. Shirley loved to travel with Don. They took trips with friends to Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, Canada and Hawaii. They drove to both coasts and to Alaska in their "Minnie Winnie" motorhome on the Alaskan Highway, most of which was gravel at the time. But Gettysburg has always been home to Shirley and Don and they were forever grateful for their friends and family in Gettysburg.

Shirley is survived by her four children, Chuck Kunstle of Beresford, SD, Kay Tully of Ft. Collins, CO, Bill (Jill) Kunstle of Sioux Falls, SD and Steve (Rozann) Kunstle of Gettysburg, SD, six grandchildren, Heidi (Nathan) DeVries of Vermillion, SD, Tom (Jenna) Kunstle of Orange City, IA, Nick Kunstle of Raleigh, NC, Mike (Erin) Kunstle of Alexandria, MN, Brittny (Andrew) Mueller of Topeka, KS and Zach Fuller of Sioux Falls, SD, seven great-grandchildren, Hope DeVries, J.D. DeVries, Benjamin Kunstle, Jake Kunstle, Olivia Kunstle, Ryker Kunstle and Adelyn Kunstle.

Shirley was preceded in death by her husband, Don, parents, Fred and Laurie Hult, an infant brother, brother, Richard, sister, Mildred and son-in law, Tom Tully.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the Gettysburg Prairie Quilters Quilts of Valor project or Emmanuel Lutheran Church Ladies Aid Quilters for Charity.

Luce Funeral Home of Gettysburg has been entrusted with Shirley's arrangements. Visit www.familyfuneralhome.net