Julia Ann Gnuse

Julia Ann Gnuse, 61, of Irvine, Calif., died Thursday, Aug. 11, 2016, in Overland Park, Kan., while visiting her sister, Revé Gnuse Butler.

She was born Jan. 18, 1955, a daughter of Lorenzo and Enna Marie Gnuse and grew up in Lewistown.

Upon graduation from high school, Julia lived in Rochester, Minn., and Overland Park, Kan., before moving to the Irvine area around 1985. Julia had a real zest for life, and loved talking to strangers. She was known as the Irvine Walker by the media and community because of her fast walking of 20-plus miles a day, rain or shine. Julia worked in several industries, but her favorite was her own business known as Sweet Temptations, which she operated for almost 10 years. She sold her homemade cookies and pies, made using recipes from her Grandmother Spicknall, to 7-Eleven stores and office buildings. She was approached on several occasions about opening a franchise or selling her recipes to large bakery companies, but she preferred to work independently with a few employees.

Julia became obsessed with getting tattoos in the early '90s, and ended up being in the Guinness Book of World Records twice (latest in 2011) for having the most tattoos. Due to her love of art, Julia became a walking artistic display of cartoon characters, famous people and pictures -- not your typical tattoos. She appeared on numerous TV shows, including the Guinness opening credits and show, Larry King, Ripley's Believe It or Not and German and Italian shows. A statue of her is in the Guinness Museum in Japan, and she has been featured in numerous magazines and newspapers.

She is survived by her sister, Revé and brother-in-law, Dennis Butler; her lifelong friend, David Bouska of Irvine; an uncle, Donald Gnuse of Quincy, Ill.; and cousins, Pamela Gnuse and Barbara Freiburg of Quincy and Chuck Gnuse of Lewistown and their families.

She was preceded in death by her parents and grandparents, Lorenzo and Ida Gnuse and Wayne and Eva Spicknall.

SERVICES: There will be no services. Private burial will be in Lewistown Cemetery.

VISITATION: 10 to 11 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 20, at Arnold's Funeral Home, Lewistown. Dress is casual -- she would be!

MEMORIALS: Lewistown Cemetery Association or Quincy Humane Society in care of Arnold's Funeral Home, P.O. Box 248, Lewistown, MO 63452.

ARRANGEMENTS: Arnold's Funeral Home.

WEBSITE: arnoldsfuneralhome.com.

Condolences may be expressed online at whig.com.