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Ida Mae (Hanson) Kuntz was born on the Hanson family farm south of Gunder, Iowa to Otto Hanson and Nellie (Anderson) Hanson on June 23rd, 1932. She died peacefully in her home in Iowa City on December 2, 2025, at the age of 93.
Ida grew up on her family farm and graduated from Postville High School. She attended Lutheran Deaconess School of Nursing in Chicago, graduating in 1953. After serving as a VNA nurse in Chicago, she moved to Minneapolis to attend seminary. She hoped to serve as a medical missionary in Alaska, but God had other plans. She met Harold Kuntz and returned to northeast Iowa. They were united in marriage on September 3rd, 1960, at Marion Lutheran Church in Gunder, Iowa. They lived on Harold’s home farm in rural Ridgeway, Iowa, until purchasing the Hanson home farm in 1965.
Ida worked as a Public Health Nurse in northeast Iowa, serving families in Clayton, Allamakee, Winneshiek, and Fayette counties over the years. She drove thousands of miles and knew every gravel road in the area. She spent the last 10 year of her nursing career establishing the first hospice service in the area. She was an excellent nurse and loved her profession. She and her classmates from “Deac” kept in touch and had regular reunions for over 50 years.
After they retired, she and Harold enjoyed traveling, cross country skiing on the farm, riding bike trails near and far, watching the birds, and establishing a small patch of native prairie on their property. Their trips to Alaska and to Germany were filled with special memories. She was an active member of Marion Lutheran Church in Gunder throughout her life, serving with the church women, and teaching Sunday School.
After selling the farm in 2008, they moved to Monona, Iowa. After Harold’s death in 2016, she moved to Elkader, Iowa. In 2023, she moved to Iowa City, Iowa to live near daughter, Karen and her husband, Todd.
She is survived by her daughter, Karen Kuntz, son in law, R. Todd Wiblin, sister-in-law Helen Meyer, many nieces and nephews, and friend Vickie Koehn.
She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, Harold, her brothers Howard, and sisters-in-law Maxine Hanson and Evelyn Hanson, and Otto, Jr, sister Arlene and her husband Loras Heck, brother-in-law Everett Kuntz and sister-in-law Helen Kuntz, nephew Dwight Hanson and great-nephew Christopher Shykes.
A Visitation will be held from 10:00 am until 11:00 am with a Funeral Service at 11:00 am on Saturday, April 25, 2026 at Marion Lutheran Church in Gunder, Iowa with Rev. Marshall Hahn as the officiant.
Inurnment will follow at the Marion Lutheran Cemetery in Gunder, Iowa.
Leonard-Grau Funeral Home and Cremation Service of Monona, Iowa is assisting the family.