Elnora R. Zunkel

Elnora Zunkel, 78, of Ogden, Iowa, passed away on Thursday, January 6, 2011, at Mercy Medical Center in Des Moines.

Funeral services will be held 11:00 a.m., Tuesday, January 11, 2011, at the Community United Methodist Church in Ogden. Rev. Paul Evans will officiate. Visitation will be Monday, from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m., at Carson - Stapp Funeral Home in Ogden. Following services, Elnora's body will be cremated. Private burial of ashes will be held at a later date at Glenwood Cemetery in Ogden.

The oldest child of Earl and Wanda Wolf, Elnora was born on August 12, 1932, in Gardner, Iowa. Her younger siblings were Gerald, Joe, and twins Chris and Kathy. She attended several schools and graduated from Bayard High School class of 1951. She married at 19 and had her only child, Dawnie, in 1952.

She married Arlen Zunkel in May of 1989. She loved taking care of their home in Ogden and cooking. Elnora made her own recipe for chocolate chip cookies, with Hershey Hugs on top and entered them in the Pillsbury Bake-Off. She was one of the 100 finalists that went to San Diego, CA, for the cook-off. Although she didn't win, it became the highlight of her life. Elnora loved traveling and she and Arlen made many happy trips together to see her daughter Dawnie and the four grandchildren and five great grandchildren. She loved sewing and made many quilted jackets that became her "signature" pieces. Elnora and her good friend Gilly started making purses together and loved selling them at fairs and bazaars. They too became her signature pieces. When her family came to visit or when they visited family, it was always precious times to her, it didn't need to be a holiday but it always seemed like one.

Elnora was a member of the Community United Methodist Church, she enjoyed traveling, cooking and sewing.

She was preceded in death by her parents, one brother, Gerald, and a daughter, Michele.

She leaves mourning her, a loving husband, Arlen; a daughter, Dawnie (Tim) Hendryx; grandchildren, Don (Tammie) Fodor, April (Brian) Klava, Amanda (Nick) Howell, and Elyse Hendryx; Great Grandchildren, August and Abbie Fodor; Cameron, Dylan and Brianna Klava, all of Douglas and Casper Wyoming; her siblings, Joe (Cynthia) Wolf, Kathy Cupp, Chris Wolf, one sister in law, Martha Wolf and many nieces and nephews.

Memorials may be left to the discretion of the family.