Barbara Ann (Kuehl) Amundson, 86 of Livingston, Wisconsin, formerly of Elkader, Iowa was surrounded by family when she passed away Sunday, December 15, 2024 at Upland Hills Health in Dodgeville, Wisconsin. Barbara was born July 26, 1938 to Edward V. and Phyllis E. (Wikan) Kuehl in rural Elkader, Iowa. She was baptized and confirmed at Highland Lutheran Church, rural Elkader, Iowa.
On November 8, 1970, Barbara was united in marriage with Lloyd V. Amundson Jr., and she became mother to Gina and Corey. Sonja was born in 1972.
Barbara graduated from high school in Elkader in 1956; she enjoyed one year at Luther College and being chosen for Nordic Choir before she started working in banking in Oregon, IL. While living in Waukon, she went back to school and earned an associate’s degree in the administrative assistant program at Northeast Iowa Community College in Calmar in the spring of 1990. She also worked in retail, care center setting, customer service, and she worked at Lands’ End in Dodgeville, WI for many years before retiring.
Above everything else in the world was her love for her family and friends. And when you hear people talking about cooking with love, that was absolutely Barbara. Her cooking, gardening, and canning were all legendary. Family and friends have been asking for her rice pudding recipe for DECADES, but it’s never been written down that we know of. Even as she was slowing down in the last year or so, if she knew you were under the weather for any reason, she was making and delivering soups and various other goodies she knew were favorites. While she was at Upland Hills receiving care, we came home to get some things for her only to find the dining room table full of freshly canned tomatoes and dilly beans to be divided among the kids at Thanksgiving.
She also enjoyed sharing her passion for the sports she loved. Iowa Hawkeye sports and Caitlin Clark in particular were very important to her. She was also an avid Chicago Cubs fan (and thus Sonja became a fan, she believes, in utero), and was thrilled to bits to see them win the World Series in 2016. She also enjoyed a wide array of music such as Jim Reeves, Mario Lanza, George Strait, and Victor Borge. She also enjoyed putting together puzzles and reading.
Surviving Barbara are her children, Gina Walmar (Lyle Dalton) of Boscobel, WI, Corey Amundson of Kunkleton, PA, and Sonja (Jason) Christopherson of Onalaska, WI; grandchildren, Cindee Jo (Todd) Swanson of Las Vegas, NV, Ashley Gurley of Allentown, PA, and Renee Amundson (Eric Baskin) of Boyertown, PA; great-grandchildren, Jeremy, Hayley and Kassady Swanson of Las Vegas, NV, Tyler and Mayson Gurley and Jaydien Marshall of Allentown, PA; Brielley and Aurora Price of Boyertown, PA; siblings, Edward Kuehl of Embarrass, MN, Roger (Betty) Kuehl of Garnavillo, IA, Marjorie Kuehl of Rochelle, IL, Edythe Kuehl of Tom Bean, Texas; sisters-in-law Joyce Kuehl of Clermont, IA, Linda Buechler of Independence, IA and Rita Leliefeld of Guttenberg, IA.
Preceding Barbara in death were her parents, Edward V. and Phyllis Kuehl; parents-in-law Lloyd E. Amundson Sr., Viola (Jones) Amundson, and Bernice (Kuhse) Amundson Benzing; husbands, Edward Templeman and Lloyd Amundson Jr.; siblings, Ardis “Maxine” Branson, Mary Tabery, George Kuehl, and Marvin Kuehl; siblings-in-law, Audrey Kuehl, Al Tabery, Don McBride, Marlene Meyer, Ron Meyer, Rose Mary and L’Dean Tielbar, Curt Noack, and Bill Leliefeld; and grandchildren, Nicky and Nathan Walmer.
A Celebration of Life will be held Monday, June 30, 2025 at 10:30 am, visitation will be held from 9:00 am until the time of services at Highland Lutheran Church, rural Elkader, Iowa.
In lieu of flowers, please donate to your local animal shelter or Grant County Humane Society, 222 S Roosevelt St. Lancaster WI, 53813 or online at https://www.grantcountyhumanesociety.com in memory of Barbara.
Leonard-Grau Funeral Home and Cremation Service in Elkader, Iowa is assisting the family with arrangements