Annabelle Funk

Born Annabelle Ray in Haskell, Texas on December 13, 1924, into a family of nine children. Annabelle grew up in West Texas, a member of a loving and hard-working cotton-farming family, taking time off from school each year for harvest. In 1944 following high school graduation, Annie left Texas to attend Western Union Training School in Chicago. In January 1945 she was assigned to work in Oakland, California, where she met William W. Funk, who was in the Navy at the time. William and Annabelle were married in Vallejo on April 2, 1946. They were blessed with 61 years of marriage at the time William passed away in 2008. Annie was a stay-at-home mother for most of her married years, though she enjoyed several jobs for brief periods. She was always industrious, believing that not one day of life was meant for laziness. Annabelle was an avid bowler, bicyclist, gardener, cook and seamstress. She was a woman of simple pleasures, always valuing family and home above all else. William and Annabelle traveled in their retirement years. She would proudly tell anyone interested that they drove through 50 of the United States in an RV, and then saw a lot of the rest of the world taking cruises. She never ran out of stories about her grandchildren, whom she dearly loved and took an active role in their young lives. For the last decade of her life, Annie suffered with health issues, but she was taken care of at home by her loving husband, continuing to enjoy the sweetness of marriage, family and home. Annabelle is survived by her son, William M. Funk (Susan), Santa Rosa; daughter, Suzanne Chandler, Santa Rosa; grandchildren, Jacy Chandler, Santa Rosa; Kyra Studer (William), Ukiah; Andrew Gutmann (Augusta) Hidden Valley Lake; Nicholas Funk, Phoenix; Brian Funk, San Francisco; Timothy Funk, Santa Rosa; Jessica Funk, Santa Rosa; and great-grandchildren, Logan and Katelyn Studer, Ukiah; and Emma Anne Raff, Santa Rosa. She is survived by three brothers in Texas: Jack Ray, Luke Ray and Don Ray. Services will be held on Sunday, August 30, 2009, 3:30 p.m. at Foothills Community Church, 2100 Petaluma Hill Road, Santa Rosa, where she had been a devoted congregation member for decades.