Verna Unruh

Graveside service for Verna Rose Wedel Unruh, 98, of Ringwood will be Friday, November 27, 2020 at 12:00 p.m. at Cedar Cemetery near Fairview.  Viewing will be Friday, November 27, 2020 from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. in Helena.  Arrangements are by Lanman Funeral Home, Inc. of Helena.  www.lanmanmemorials.com  Facebook:  Lanman Funeral Home Inc.

Verna was born November 5, 1922 in Alden to Henry and Carrie (Koehn) Pekrul and passed away November 24, 2020 at the Fairview Hospital.  As a child, Mom and her family moved a lot.  Some of the places they lived were Carnegie, Dalhart, Texas and McWilllie.  She would often tell how she had to get up early in the morning and go outside to do the chores before going to school.  Mom found her love to play the piano at a young age.  She would sit on the stool in front of the old pump organ and with her feet barely touching the pedals, she would pick the notes on the keys and began to have the ear for the sound it made. She never took any piano lessons but could hear the tune and then by ear play the song.

Verna married Walter Wedel on June 17, 1942 and to this union three daughters were born:  Karen Sue, Lois Ann and Connie Jo.  Walter passed away on September 10, 1973.  Mom worked hard all of her married life.  She cleaned motels and was a waitress in the Enid and Ringwood areas.  She learned the meat butchery trade from her dad which was useful when she got a job in the meat market at Richards Grocery Store in Ringwood, retiring from there after twenty-seven years. She met Loren Unruh over the meat counter and they married in 1976.

Verna was a member of the New Hopedale Mennonite Church where she was active in the Ladies Aide Society.  Mom loved the fellowship and fun the ladies had as they sat around the quilting frame tying and hand stitching on the many beautiful quilts.  Mom was a good cook and she took pride in her baking skills.  She won numerous blue and champion ribbons on her cakes, pies and bread entries at the local and county fairs.  During Christmas season you would find mom in the kitchen rolling and making pounds and pounds of peppernuts filling all the peppernut orders that she got and her cinnamon rolls were the best ever.  She was always glad and proud to give anyone her recipes and any special secret tips that she did to make her baking a good product.

Sometimes in the quietness of her home, Mom would play gospel songs on her key board for long periods of time.  This gave her much peace.  When her health started to fail she entered the Fairview Fellowship Home where she lived for the past six years.  She would often entertain the residents there with her piano playing.  They all so enjoyed the music.

She is preceded in death by her parents; husband, Walter and Loren; daughter, Lois; sons-in-law, Ron Koehn and Virgil Campbell; two sisters and three brothers.

She is survived by two daughters, Karen Campbell of Ringwood, Connie Shaffer and husband, C.E. of Ringwood; six grandchildren, Troy Koehn and wife, Leslie of Pratt, Kansas, Sheldon Koehn of Ringwood, Annette Pfeiffer and husband, Jim of Alva, Gary Campbell and wife, Kim of North Carolina, Marty Shaffer and wife, Ladena of Ringwood, Wally Shaffer and wife, Katie of Perry; fourteen great grandchildren, eighteen great-great grandchildren.  Also surviving is Loren’s family, sister-in-law, Shirley Pekrul and numerous nieces and nephews.

Memorials may be made to the New Hopedale Mennonite Church through the funeral home.