A Celebration of Life service was held Aug. 24 at Slininger-Schroeder Funeral Home in Jefferson for Elizabeth “Betty” Gunion, 88, of Marion, formerly of Grand Junction.
Pastor Jim Barnett of Jefferson offered words of comfort. Danille Curtis wias pianist. Honorary bearers were Todd Busch, Woody DeForest, Tom Butler, Scott Butler, Lawrence Rold and Harold Osterman.
Interment was at the Dawson Township Cemetery west of Paton.
Elizabeth “Betty” Gunion, 88, of Grand Junction, Iowa, passed away early the morning of August 19, 2019, at St. Luke Hospital in Cedar Rapids,
Betty was born September 3, 1930, in Grand Junction, the oldest child of Henry and Lena Busch. She was joined by a brother, Bob, seven years later. Betty graduated from high school in Dana in 1948 and was asked to work for the bank in Dana. The summer before she graduated, she met her future husband, Vernon Gunion. They married on Jan. 1, 1950 and moved a quarter mile down the road from where Betty grew up. They liked to roller skate, play cards, and watch basketball together.
When Betty had her first child, she stopped working at the bank to focus on her family. Vernon and Betty raised four children together – Mark, Doug, Beth, and Lisa. During these years Betty was president of the Garden Club, treasurer of the PTO, taught vacation bible school, and spent countless hours working on 4-H projects with her daughters and serving her community.
Betty and Vernon spent their lives working together on their farm and instilling their work ethic into their kids. She was a great cook, baker, gardener, farmer, and above all else, mother.
When Vernon died in 2016, after 66 years of marriage, Betty moved to Marion to live with her daughter Beth.
Betty will be lovingly remembered by her children and their spouses: Dr. Mark Gunion of Bremerton, WA, Doug and Carleen Gunion of Boone, Beth and Alan Tribble of Marion, and Lisa Gunion-Rinker and Matt Rinker of Milwaukie, OR; grandchildren Scott Gunion, Melissa Gunion, Matt Tribble, and Daniel Tribble; and great-grandson Brayden Gunion.
