Deacon Andrew Kunkel, 94, died Wednesday, March 31, at his home. He was a deacon of the Diocese of St. Cloud for 40 years.
The Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at noon Monday, April 5, at Holy Cross Church in Pearl Lake with inurnment on Tuesday afternoon, April 6, at the parish cemetery in Pearl Lake. The Vigil will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Sunday, April 4, at Wenner Funeral Home in Cold Spring, with parish prayers at 7 p.m. Visitation will continue prior to the funeral Mass on Monday from 10 to 11:45 a.m. at Holy Cross Church, Pearl Lake.
Andrew was born June 18, 1926, in Marty to John and Rose (Nistler) Kunkel. On June 5, 1951, in St. Peter Church in Eden Valley, he married Celine Foley. The couple had eight children. Andrew served in the U.S. Army as a radar controller. He was a dairy farmer until his retirement and sold Pioneer Seed.
He was ordained Aug. 28, 1980, to the diaconate for the Diocese of St. Cloud. At Holy Cross Parish, he sang in the choir and was a eucharistic minister. He served in jail Ministry for Stearns County and at REC and TEC Retreats. He was a member of the Knights of Columbus and Legion of Mary. In the community he sang with Maennerchor and was a Maine Prairie Township board member and election judge. He was a deacon for 40 years.
Deacon Kunkel is survived by Celine, his wife of 69 years; children, Marie (Ken) Worm; Terri (Ken) Wong; Louie (Laura); Mike (Sandee); Beth (Greg Hinrichs); Charlotte (Steve Billig); Charlie (Carol Vermeer); and Jenny (Jeff) Schertz; siblings, Lorraine Jones, Sylvia Winkelman; Donna Grams and Dick (Linda) Kunkel; sister-in-law, Donna Kunkel; 21 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents; siblings, Wally (Lee) Wicker, Alvin Kunkel, Alphonse (Joan, Joyce) Kunkel, Jack (Sue) Kunkel and Virginia Kunkel; in-laws, Deacon Jack Winkelman and Peter Grams; and grandson, Brian Kunkel.