Greta Sue Kunkel
Greta Sue (née Counts) Kunkel (1932-2025), aged 93, died peacefully in Rockport, Maine. She was born in Meno, Oklahoma, the daughter of her late parents Lena and Lionel Counts. ‘Sue’ as she preferred to be known, was preceded in death by her husband of 64 years, James (Jim) Kunkel, as well as her brother Bill Counts. Born the daughter of sharecroppers, Sue grew up in a world with neither electricity nor running water, working the farm with her brothers & parents, raising livestock, picking cotton, and growing various crops. She was known for her love of pets, among them a chubby squirrel who enjoyed marshmallows, and a pig, Sissy, who would race inside the farmhouse and straight to the bathtub at any given opportunity! Sue was the first member of her family to go to college, becoming a registered nurse. She met her future husband (a medical student) while working as a surgical nurse at Wesley Hospital in Oklahoma City, OK. Married in 1957 at First Presbyterian OKC, Sue and Jim lived first in Cleveland, OH for Jim’s residency, then moved to Marshfield, WI where they lived for 27 years. On school breaks, they often drove to Oklahoma to visit family. When the kids complained that their vacation was too short, Sue said she never liked school break as a child, because it meant she would be picking cotton! In retirement, Sue and Jim traveled extensively, settling in Sarasota, FL, and later returning to her roots in Oklahoma. Sue was a joyful, wonderful mother, working tirelessly to care for others. She had a way of making everyone feel at ease. Ever a lady, she also loved a good prank and playing (very aggressive!) tennis. Sue is survived by her eldest brother Glen, her beloved cousin Lavonna, her four children: Julie Wilkinson (husband Bill), Daniel Kunkel (wife Maki), Benjamin Kunkel (wife Jie), Tim Kunkel (wife Adda), 10 grandchildren (Lorena, Bonnie, Olivia, Kai, Liya, Kate, Ellen, Thomas, Kengo, and Aina-Sue), and six great-grandchildren (Juliet, AJ, Rosie, Iris, Adam, and Jasper).
What a legacy she leaves behind! Till we meet again, in the sweet by & by.
The memorial will be held on 20 June 2025 at 2:00 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church in Oklahoma City, Rev. John McKinnon officiating
